


Redux - Total Drama Action

by Hugh_Jidiot



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: AU of TDA, Action, Drama, Humor, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Other first generation characters will appear as well, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28183287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hugh_Jidiot/pseuds/Hugh_Jidiot
Summary: In a world where Owen kept his money after Total Drama Island, Chris McLean was forced to go with plan B for season two: bring eleven veterans and eleven rookies to an abandoned film studio to compete for one million dollars, with the remaining first generation serving as crew members and special guest stars.Who will crash and burn? Who will get together? And who will be left standing at the end to claim that fabulous cash prize?(AU of TDA with 2nd and 3rd gen contestants on the roster.)
Relationships: Dakota Milton/Sam, Lindsay/Tyler (Total Drama)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	1. Lights, Camera, Action

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, Total Drama fandom! The name is Hugh Jidiot, here with what I hope (knock on wood) will be the first in a series of Total Drama comp fics.
> 
> I loved Total Drama back in the day, and I've been getting back into the fandom after a long absence. I wanted to try my hand at a comp fic, and decided to go with an AU of the series from Total Drama Action onward. After all the first season was pretty solid, while Action was - in my opinion, at least - where the problems that would go on to plague the franchise started rearing their ugly heads. To that end, my version features several first gen contestants who got royally screwed over in canon, as well as eleven rookies randomly chosen from the roster of Total Drama contestants. The only ones absent are Blainley - whose whole deal on TDWT was extremely stupid and pointless - and Alejandro, whom I have other plans for.
> 
> But enough of my yammering. Time to get this party started!

Actor, television host and overall (minor) celebrity Chris McLean stood on a sidewalk in the middle of a busy city street, flashing a twinkling smile for the numerous cameras focused on him. Behind him stood an enormous fenced-off lot dotted with tents, trailers and fake buildings.

“Hello, viewing world!” Chris said, giving the peace sign to the camera. “The one-and-only Chris McLean here, ready to bring you another season of the world’s newest hit reality TV show: Total Drama!”

He crossed his arms behind his back, walking down the sidewalk as he continued speaking. “During our last season, we brought twenty-two teenagers to a crappy summer-camp out in Muskoka to duke it out for one-hundred thousand dollars! And after several weeks of gross camp slop, backstabbing teammates and brutal challenges, party animal Owen defeated goth girl Gwen to take home the grand prize. And speaking of Owen…”

Chris stopped in front of the lot’s main gate. Standing in front of it was none other than Owen himself, beaming as he threw his arms up in celebration.

“What’s up, everyone?!” Owen cheered as Chris stood beside him, reaching up to pat the fun-loving goofball on the shoulder.

“As the winner of season one,” Chris said, “Owen has earned the honor of being my co-host for season two. Fun fact: at the Total Drama Island wrap party, I actually offered him a chance to upgrade his hundred-grand to a million dollars _if_ he could find the briefcase full of money hidden somewhere on the island before any of the other campers.” Chris’s smile dropped and he glared at Owen. “But _someone_ had to turn me down.”

Owen gave Chris a flat stare. “Well yeah. I was super lucky to have outlasted twenty-one other people to win, and you expected me to give it all up to compete in a free-for-all against people like Ducan, Courtney and Eva? What do you think I am, some kind of idiot?”

“... Uh, I don’t think you want the honest answer to that question.” Chris turned his attention back to the cameras, smiling once more. “Anyways, our original plan was to award the million to whoever got to it first, then force around fourteen or fifteen runners-up to compete in a brand new season. But since the big race didn’t happen, we were forced to go with plan B for season two.”

“That’s right!” Owen said as he gestured to the lot behind him. “We’re here at this abandoned film studio in glorious Toronto, where the contestants will be competing in a series of movie-themed challenges! We’re bringing back eleven players from season one...”

“Along with eleven brand spankin’ new contestants,” Chris said, grinning and rubbing his hands together. “And with the prize upgrade from a hundred grand to one _million_ dollars, this season promises to be more grueling than ever before! So grab your popcorn and overpriced snacks, and get ready for a new season of blood, sweat and tears! Right here on Total…”

“Drama…” Owen said as he threw an arm around Chris’s shoulders.

“Action!” They finished together.

* * *

_Dear mom and dad, I’m doing fine!_

_You guys are on my mind!_

_You asked me what I wanted to be,_

_And now I think the answer is plain to see!_

_I wanna be famous!_

_I wanna live close to the sun!_

_Well pack your bags ‘cause I’ve already won!_

_Everything to prove, nothing in my way;_

_I’ll get there one day!_

_‘Cause I wanna be famous!_

_(Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

_I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

_I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

* * *

Chris and Owen separated as a dingy bus pulled up to the curb beside them.

“Now without further adieu,” Chris said as the door opened with a squeak, “it’s time to introduce our victims - _er uh_ I mean, _contestants._ We’ll start with the returning veterans. Give it up for everyone’s favorite sarcastic know-it-all, Noah!”

Noah trudged off the bus with his suitcases in hand, looking like he’d rather be _anywhere_ but where he was now. “Can’t believe I got roped into another season of this nightmare,” he grumbled, glaring at Chris. “When I get home, I’m hiring a lawyer to go through those stupid contracts with a fine-tooth comb. So help me God I will _not_ be doing a third season of this crap, McLean.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Chris said with a chuckle, crossing his arms as Noah leered at him.

“Also joining us,” Owen said, “is the homeschooled homeboy Ezekiel!”

“What’s up, yo?” Ezekiel said as he confidently swaggered off the bus. “The Zeke is back in action, and this time he’s in it to win it!”

Noah rolled his eyes as Ezekiel walked up to join him. “Sure you are. Just try not to be the first one voted off this time, ‘kay Homeschool?”

Ezekiel just scoffed. “Big talk coming from the first guy to get booted from the Screaming Gophers.”

“Touche.”

“Katie and Sadie!” Chris announced as the two BFFFL’s stepped off the bus, hand-in-hand. They looked up at the film studio with wonder in their eyes and exchanged excited grins.

“Omigosh, can you believe it Sadie?” Katie asked, standing in front of the bus’s door. “Not only do we get another shot on Total Drama, but we actually get to be in an actual film studio!”

“I know!” Sadie gushed. “It’s like we’ll be real movie stars! It’s so incredible!”

The best friends hugged and squealed, only to yelp and jump when a gravelly voice shouted from the bus.

“ _Will you two move it already?!”_

“Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Eva!” Owen said as the bodybuilder stomped off the bus, scowling. She saw the frightened looks Katie and Sadie were giving her and took a deep breath through her nose.

“I’m sorry I yelled like that,” she said, much more softly. “But the rest of us needed to get off the bus too.”

Cody was the next off the best, wearing his most charming smile as he placed himself between the three girls. “Ladies, let’s all relax,” he said smoothly. Or as smooth as his somewhat nasally voice would allow. “No need for us to start a fight this early. After all we’re all friends, right?”

The contestants exchanged uncertain glances.

“Cody’s right, you know,” said Justin as he stepped off the bus, Beth and Lindsay following close behind. “As the returning veterans, we should look out for one another.”

Justin smiled his winning smile as he ran a hand through silky black hair, making it _just_ messy enough to add a dash of ruggedness to his already dashing good looks. All of the girls (and Owen) swooned and heaved lovestruck sighs. Noah just rolled his eyes while Cody looked on with undisguised envy.

Beth was the first one to shake free of Justin’s spell. “I think Justin’s on to something,” Beth said, her lisp noticeably gone. “Let’s all stick together so those rookies don’t cream us.” She smiled, showing off a mouthful of straight teeth.

“Cody, Justin, Beth and Lindsay, welcome back to the show!” Chris said. He nodded in Beth’s direction. “And kudos to you for getting your braces off, Beth.”

“I know, isn’t she even more adorable now?” Lindsay asked, leaning down to wrap her bestie in a hug.

“Yeah, but still not as adorable as you, babe,” Tyler said, standing at the top of the bus steps. Lindsay beamed at him, blushing from the compliment. Tyler smiled back and took a step forward…

“ _Whoa!_ ”

… only to miss the first step and tumbling the rest of the way down the stairs, where he crashed face-first into the bus stop sign with a _clang_.

The contestants all winced in sympathy as Lindsay rushed over to her boyfriend. Chris just chuckled and shook his head.

“Ah, good ol’ Tyler,” he said. “Some things never change.”

“Are you okay, Trevor?” Lindsay asked, holding Tyler by the shoulders to keep him steady. The tracksuited athlete groaned, swaying unsteadily on his feet.

“My favorite color is seven…” he mumbled, eyes unfocused.

“And rounding out the veterans,” Owen said as a final female stepped down and off the bus, “it’s Courtney! How’s it feel to be back?”

The CIT crossed her arms, a serious expression on her face. “It’s good to be back in the game where I belong,” she said, giving Chris a glare, “after the way I was so unfairly _cheated_ out of season one.”

Chris just rolled his eyes. “Yeah I know, your lawyers brought that up _many_ times,” he said. “And don’t worry, we’ve taken steps to ensure we don’t have a repeat of Harold’s vote-tampering."

“Good,” Courtney said, still glaring.

With all of its passengers departed, the bus closed its doors and lumbered off, leaving a cloud of black exhaust in its wake that left everyone wheezing and hacking. It wasn’t long before the smog cleared and a new bus came rolling up.

“Okay,” Chris said, clearing his throat as the bus’s doors swung open. “Now that we’ve met the first generation contestants, it’s time to introduce the eleven newbies who will be joining them in the quest for one million dollars! First up, we have Dakota!”

A tall girl in a pink top and magenta pants stepped off the bus, her blond hair swishing as she removed her sunglasses and smiled.

“Hello, Total Drama Action,” the fame-monger said as she struck a flirty pose for the cameras. “The lovely Dakota is ready for her close-up! Make sure you get my good side.” She giggled as she changed poses, leaning back against the bus with one hand behind her head. “Oh wait: I only _have_ good sides!”

“Lightning!” Owen announced as a broad-shouldered black boy in a blue jersey came barrelling off the bus, almost knocking Dakota over.

“Sha-yeah!” The athletic overachiever cheered as he flexed his muscles. “Lightning is in the house! Take a good everyone, ‘cause the next winner of Total Drama has just-”

“Hey!” Dakota snapped, grabbing Lightning by the shirt collar and glaring at him. “Watch where you’re going you meathead! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get my makeup…”

She trailed off as she noticed Chris and Owen staring at her, along with the several of the cameras. She quickly released Lightning and plastered on a smile, giving a dainty wave.

“Uh, anyways…” Chris said as he motioned towards the bus, “next up we have Sam!”

An overweight boy with glasses and curly brown hair stepped off the bus, his eyes focused on the Bintendo Swap and his brow furrowed in concentration.

“Come on, come on…” the nice-guy gamer muttered. A musical fanfare sounded from the system’s speakers, and he cheered. “Yes! Just cleared new-game plus! I am the ma- _woah!_ ”

Sam was so engrossed in his game that he missed the last step off the bus, face-planting onto the sidewalk with a _thud._ Everyone present winced in pain. The girl who had been following him, a First Nations girl with short black hair wearing a tan shirt and black leggings, gasped as she hurried down the steps.

“Oh jeez, are you okay?” She asked as she helped Sam to his feet. The gamer groaned woozily as he pocketed his game.

“Guess I need to level up my dexterity,” he said as he spat out some gravel.

“Eh, just leave him,” said a stern-looking blond woman in a gray sweatshirt and matching sweatpants as she stepped off the bus. “If Joystick here can’t handle a little tumble, he won’t last a _day_ on Total Drama.

“Give it up for Sky and Jo!” Chris said. The athlete and jockette took their places with the rest of the group, Sam following close behind.

“Ladies and gentlemen, here’s Ella!” Owen said.

Next off the bus was a girl with skin pure as snow and hair black as night, wearing long pink gloves and and a pink blouse and skirt that combined to resemble the dress of a storybook princess.

“This is such a wonderful day,” the fairytale princess said with a radiant smile. “I can’t believe I get to meet wonderful new people and compete on my favorite reality show! I’m so happy I could sing!” She opened her mouth wide. “ _Aaaaaah-_ ”

Chris cut her off with a finger to the lips. “I’m glad that you’re excited,” he said, “but we still have a lot of contestants to introduce and we’re burning daylight. Hit pause on the singing for now, ‘kay kid?”

Ella giggled sheepishly. “Sorry!”

“And after her, we have Scott,” Owen continued.

A boy with light red hair stepped off the bus, wearing a stained white tank top tucked into dirty blue jeans. He looked at his new surroundings with a frown and spat on the sidewalk, to the disgust of many.

“So this is the big city, huh? Meh, doesn’t seem like anything special,” the devious schemer said dismissively. Scott looked to the assembled contestants and smirked. “What’s up, future losers? Any of you wanna just drop out now and save yourselves the embarrassment of being sent home crying?” He received mostly flat looks and glares in response. “No? Heh, suit yourselves.”

“Here’s Cameron and Dave!” Owen announced as two more boys departed the bus. Both were equally skinny, but that black boy in a red hoodie was much shorter than the Indian boy in a light blue sweater-vest. Both were looking every which way; the former with wonder, the latter with apprehension.

“Wow, real buildings!” The wide-eyed bubble boy gushed. “A real sidewalk! And so much fresh air!”

Cameron took a deep breath. Unfortunately he did so as a passing car belched out a cloud of black exhaust, sending him into a coughing fit. Dave yelped and scrambled backwards.

“Don’t do that around me!” The normal guy cried. “I’m allergic to other people’s germs!”

“Then we have Leonard!” Chris said, pointing finger guns towards the bus.

Out of the door stepped another young black man, rail-thin with a long gray beard that was obviously fake, dressed in flowing gray robes and waving around a small wooden wand.

“Greetings, fellow warriors!” Said the LARPer in a nasally voice. “Let us venture forth on the journey of a lifetime! The bards shall sing epic ballads of our conquests here on Total Drama Action!”

Everyone stared at Leonard as though he were speaking in tongues.

“Er… yeah, sure,” Chris said.

“And last but not least…” Owen started to say, but trailed off when he was no one else in the bus’s windows. He ran up to peer in through the door, then turned back to Chris, perplexed. “Uh Chris? We’re missing one.”

“Really?” Chris asked with a frown. He did a quick head count, mumbling under his breath. “Hey you’re right. Where’s Dawn?”

“Are you looking for me?”

Chris about jumped out of his skin with a scream, as did a number of the contestants. In the very back of the group stood a pale girl with flowing blond hair, wearing a green sweater and purple skirt.

“What the?” Chris stammered, looking back and forth between the newcomer and the bus. “How the? Wha? Where’d _you_ come from?!”

“The bus,” Dawn replied simply.

“Well yeah but how did you…” Chris trailed off, narrowing his eyes at the moonchild. “You know what, never mind. You’re our last contestant, so it’s time for us to get this show on the road. Everyone grab your bags.” He snapped his fingers. “Owen!”

“I’m on it,” Owen said, rushing into the film lot as the bus that had been carrying the newcomers lumbered away. Owen returned a few minutes later driving a white tram, pulling a train of passenger carriages. Chris hopped into the seat next to Owen, motioning to the carts.

“All aboard!” He said. With their luggage in tow the twenty-two contestants quickly piled into the carts, and Owen took off. As he maneuvered the tram through the studio, Chris grabbed a microphone from the tram’s console. “Welcome, one and all, to the newest season of Total Drama! We’ve brought you here to this abandoned film studio for another season of mischief, madness and mayhem! Please, take the next few minutes to get to know some of the people you’ll be spending the next month with. They may become your close friends, bitter rivals, mortal enemies, and maybe even lovers.” He punctuated those last words with an eyebrow waggle.

In the front cart, Dakota was frowning as she fiddled with her phone. “Ugh, this whole place is a dead zone,” she muttered. “I’m not getting any service.” She looked up to the host. “Hey Chris, can I have the wifi password?”

“I don’t know,” the host replied with a cheeky grin, “ _caaaaaan_ you?”

Dakota rolled her eyes. “ _May_ I have the wifi password?”

“That’s better. And no, you may not. Contact with the outside world is strictly for the crew only.”

Dakota gaped at him. “But… how am I supposed to get in touch with my people? My hairdresser? My stylist? My legion of loyal paparazzi?”

“Easy. You don’t!”

Dakota slumped back in her seat with her arms crossed. “Ugh, this is just the worst!”

From her spot next to Dakota, Justin patted her on the shoulder.

“Don’t feel so bad,” he said. “You’re still gonna be on national TV after all. I for one think the viewers should be blessed that beautiful people like you and me will be gracing their screens.”

He smiled and winked at Dakota, who gave a lovestruck sigh as she blushed bright red.

In the cart behind him, Noah snorted crossed his arms.

“What’s up?” Ezekiel asked, sitting next to him.

“I don’t trust that Justin,” Noah said. “Something about him just feels… off. He feels slippery, like an eel dipped in grease.”

“You know what _I_ think?” Katie asked, her and Sadie peeking up from the cart behind the boys. “I think you’re just jealous.”

Noah scoffed. “Please, what could I possibly be jealous of?”

“Well, there’s Justin’s gorgeous smile,” Sadie said.

“And his silky hair,” Katie added.

“And his flawless bronze skin…”

“Ooh, and those _rippling_ muscles…”

Noah rolled his eyes. “Ugh, women.”

“Oh!” Beth piped up from behind Katie and Sadie’s cart. “Don’t forget that cute tush!”

“And his beautiful cerulean eyes…” Courtney said from beside Beth with a dreamy sigh. She blinked, then frowned and shook her head. “Gah, get it together Courtney! Don’t let Justin’s flawless good looks distract you from the fact that you’re here to _win_.”

Beth frowned, tapping her fingers together. “Um, and you also have a boyfriend, remember?”

“Hmm? Oh right, him too.”

Behind Courtney and Beth sat Cody and Cameron, the later examining the former closely.

“I have to say,” the bubble boy said, “for someone who ended their previous season run by being mauled by an _ursus arctos_ , your wounds have healed remarkably fast.”

Cody shrugged. “What can I say? Playa de Losers had some _great_ medical care. By the time Chris and the crew came around for their ‘After the Dock of Shame’ special, I was as good as new. Well… almost.”

Cody pulled up his shirt, revealing three jagged pale-pink scars across his chest. Cameron visibly winced.

“Yikes. Those had to have hurt.”

“Yeah, but I don’t mind,” Cody said, lowering his shirt. He smirked. “After all, chicks dig a man with scars.”

“You know what else chicks dig?” Eva asked flatly, seated directly behind Cody. “Not being called ‘chicks.’”

Cody scoffed, leaning back with his hands up behind his head. “You know nothing about women.”

Eva snarled, her hands curling into fists. Next to her, Scott watched with apprehension.

“Uh, you okay there?” He asked, slowly scooting away. Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“I’m fine,” she said in a measured, even tone. “I’ve been taking lessons to keep my anger under control. I’m good.”

Scott smirked. “Well that’s good to hear. After all, wasn’t it your temper that got you kicked off _twice_ in season one?”

Eva’s whole body tensed, and she took another deep breath. “ _Yes_ ,” she said through gritted teeth, “but that’s all in the past now.”

Scott just chuckled darkly.

Behind Eva and Scott sat Lindsay and Tyler, their arms wrapped around each other as they passionately kissed. Behind _them_ , Jo crossed her arms as she tried to block out the sounds of their sloppy makeout session.

“Ugh, get a room you two!” She said, kicking the seat of the cart in front of her. When Lindsay and Tyler just fell over to lie down on the seat, Jo rolled her eyes. “Jeez what a couple of horn dogs…”

“Just try to ignore them,” Sky said from beside Jo. She fished a packet of gum from her pocket, offering some to the jock-ette. “Want some gum? It’s cinnamon.”

“Thanks,” Jo said, grabbing a piece and popping it in her mouth.

“So… what do you think of the competition?” Sky asked. Jo waved a hand dismissively.

“I’m not worried. Aside from Eva they didn’t bother bringing back any of the strongest players from the first generation. As for the newbies…”

She and Sky glanced over their seat at the cart behind them. Sam was busy playing his Swap, Leonard looking over his shoulder.

“Come on come on just die already!” Sam muttered, his fingers flying across the buttons.

“Cast fireball! Cast fireball!” Leonard said frantically.

“I can’t! My magicka is still recharging!”

Jo just chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not worried.”

Behind Leonard and Sam, Dave winced as the convoy drove past a large heap of broken shipping pallets and other assorted garbage, piled up in the space between two of the studio buildings.

“Jeez, you think Chris could’ve spruced this place up a _little_ before bringing us here,” Dave muttered.

“You really that surprised?” Lightning asked from beside him. “Didn’t you see what the first gen had to deal with over at Camp Whatchacallit?”

Dave shuddered as he thought of Wawanakwa’s ramshackle cabins, grimy mess hall and _filthy_ communal bathrooms. “Point taken. Still, this place could really use some elbow grease.”

“Man, you gotta get your head in the game, Chicken Legs,” Lightning said. He smirked confidently and threw an arm across Dave’s shoulders, much to the germaphobe’s discomfort. “You gotta be more like Lightning. When Lightning hits the field, he’s too focused on leading his team to victory to worry about gettin’ mud and grass stains on his uniform. It’s all about keeping your eye on the prize, you feel me?”

Dave cringed as he gingerly grabbed Lightning’s wrist with his thumb and forefinger, lifting the arm so he could slip out of the jock’s embrace. “Uh… yeah, sure, why not?”

“I’ve never seen an aura like yours before,” Dawn said to Ella, the two girls seated in the rear cart.

“Why thank you!” Ella said with a smile. She paused, a thoughtful look coming to her face. “Um, is that good?”

“It’s _very_ good,” Dawn said, looking Ella up and down. “Your aura is a vibrate pink and yellow, simply radiating with optimism and positivity. It quite suits you.”

Ella’s smile came back in full force. “Thanks! I’m sure your aura is just as lovely.”

After a few minutes of driving, Owen had come to the rear of the lot. Chris grabbed his microphone and turned to address the teens.

“Okay everyone, it’s time for us to get the show on the road,” he said. “First, the rules of the game. Much like Total Drama Island, we’ll soon be splitting you up into two teams. You’ll be competing in a challenge a day Monday through Friday, leaving the weekends free for you to kick back and relax. The winners of each challenge get rewarded, while the losers will vote to send one of their own packing.”

Owen slowed down as he drove beside a large amphitheatre, flanked by large spotlights. In front of the stands was a podium upon which sat a collection of small golden statuettes of Chris McLean. A long red carpet led to where a battered white limousine sat with the engine idling. “Their fates will be decided here, at the Award Ceremony! Where anyone who doesn’t receive a Gilded Chris was take the Walk of Shame to the Lame-ousine, where they’ll be taken away from Total Drama Action, never to return. _Ever._ ”

“That’s funny,” Noah spoke up, “I seem to remember you saying something similar right before you brought back Eva and Izzy in season one.”

Chris grinned. “Oh yeah, and speaking of Izzy…”

The Lame-ousine’s horn honked to the tune of _La Cucaracha_ as the driver’s side window rolled down. The contestants all gasped as they beheld Izzy sitting in the driver’s seat, cackling maniacally.

“Howdy folks,” she said with a shark-like grin. “Izzy’s Discount Limousine/Roadkill Removal Crew at your service!” She looked over to Owen and her smile softened considerably. “Hiya Big O!”

“Hi Izzy!” Owen said, waving.

“You seriously put that psychopath in charge of a motor vehicle?!” Courtney asked Chris, incredulous.

“Hey, she’s got a valid license,” Chris said. He shrugged. “Granted I had to pull a few strings to get that license reinstated, but still.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “You accidentally drive an RV through a retirement home _one time_ and suddenly you’re public enemy number one.”

“Anyways, moving right along.” Chris motioned to Owen, who nodded and drove on. “In season one, we offered a variety of rewards to our challenge winners. Well for season two, we’ve… streamlined things a bit. Starting with the food!”

Owen came to a stop between two large tents. The flaps were pulled open, revealing metal picnic benches inside. “Here we have the craft service tents, where you’ll be having your three daily meals. On your left is the winner’s tent, catered by another guest from season one, DJ!”

From out of the left tent came a smiling DJ, wearing a frilly pink apron and holding a tray of _hors d’oeurves_ in one hand. “Hi everyone!” he said with a wave. All of the first generation contestants waved back, as did some of the more sociable members of the second gen.

“And his trusty assistant, Geoff!” Chris continued as Geoff stepped out from the tent, also waving. He smiled eagerly as he approached DJ from behind, reaching around for the finger food…

Only for DJ to whirl around at the last second, lightly smacking Geoff’s hand away.

“No!” DJ said firmly. “ _No_. Those aren’t for you.”

“DJ, bro, come on,” Geoff said pleadingly. He reached again. “Can’t I have just one-”

DJ’s free hand went into his pocket, pulling out a small spray bottle. He spritzed Geoff several times, who hissed like a cat and darted back into the craft tent. Nodding, DJ went up to carts to offer the contestants each a sample of the kind of food that awaited challenge winners.

“The losers, meanwhile,” Chris motioned to the right tent, “will have to eat over there in the loser tent, catered by none other than our own Chef Hatchet!”

The teens all peered into the right tent. Past the eating area in the kitchen, the scowling Chef Hatchet was kneading a large amount of bread dough. He flattened it into a disc and tossed it in the air, only to miss it when it came back down.

“Whoops!” Chef said, quickly bending to pick the dough up off the ground. He looked at the dough, now with dirt and bugs stuck in the mixture, and shrugged. “Eh, five second rule.”

With that he plopped the dough right back on the counter, whistling a merry tune as kneaded away. Many of the contestants voiced their disgust, with Dave even turning green.

“Yeah, that’s gonna suck for the losers,” Chris said with a chuckle as Owen drove off once more. 

“So what’s up with all these guys from season one working on the show?” Sam asked.

“Are you kidding? Cameos from past contestants are _huge_ ratings boosters,” Chris explained. “Every member of season one who isn’t directly competing will still be involved in the show in some way, either as a crew member or a special guest during certain challenges.”

“You sure they’re just here to bring in ratings,” Noah asked, “and not because you’re using our contracts to get free labor out of them?”

Chris shrugged, wearing his usual mischievous smile. “Little of column A, little of column B. Now then…”

Owen pulled up beside a two-story structure, the size of a small house. “When you aren’t competing in challenges, you’ll be able to spend your time here at the rec center. Inside we have two floors: the first is furnished with the cheapest entertainment money could rent, scoured from the finest pawn shops in Toronto. The second floor meanwhile, which only challenge winners will have access to, has a minifridge stocked with junk food, a twelve-person hot tub, and an entertainment center that includes a seventy-inch plasma screen TV. With Netflix!”

The contestants ‘ooohed’ with wonder.

“Is it in 3D too?” Cameron asked.

“No!” Chris snapped instantly. “That’s a stupid gimmick and everyone knows it!” He cleared his throat. “Moving right along…”

He nodded towards Owen, who drove on. He came to a stop between two trailers, the difference between the two as clear as night and day.

“Last but not least, we have your sleeping quarters,” Chris said. He pointed to the trailer on the left: sleek and polished, it shimmered in the afternoon sun. “The winners of each challenge will get to sleep in this state of the art airstream caravan! Features include air-conditioning, memory foam mattress with goose down pillows and authentic Egyptian silk blankets, and enough living space to comfortably fit twenty people.”

The contestants looked at the trailer with wonder in their eyes. They then cringed as Chris directed their attention to the trailer on the right. Aside from being _much_ smaller, it was also covered in rust, the windows caked with dirt and grime.

“Meanwhile the losers get to sleep in this old trailer we literally hauled out of a dump,” he said. As Chris spoke one of the side panels fell off with a clatter. A raccoon who had been nesting inside chittered as it hopped out and ran away. “Wall raccoons included at no extra charge.”

“Surely you can’t be serious,” Dave said, aghast.

“Oh I'm very serious. And _don’t_ call me Shirley.”

Owen sped off once more. He brought the tram to a stop before a large studio, an enormous black “1” painted on the side. Chris motioned the contestants off the carts, leaving their luggage behind.

“And with that,” Chris said, he and Owen standing before the twenty-two teens. “It’s time to divide you into teams and begin your first challenge!”

“Wait, already?” Ezekiel asked. “Shouldn’t we get settled in first?”

“We’ll have time for that later,” Owen said. He motioned to a small trailer set up off to the side of Studio One. “But before we get started, why don’t you all pop into our brand new makeup confessional? Tell the folks at home how it feels being on season two of the greatest show in the world!”

* * *

**Confessional: Ezekiel**

“So… here I am, eh,” Ezekiel said. He sat at a vanity table inside the small trailer, the camera placed in front of the mirror. Behind him, the walls were lined with shelves full of various odds and ends, with costumes hanging from hooks. “Feels good to be back on the show. But I’m also… kinda nervous. I know I’m been talking big, but since I was the first one to get voted off in season one, it’s a little nerve-wracking to compete again.” He gulped. “I just hope I can do better…”

* * *

**Confessional: Eva**

“I made the mistake of letting my temper get the better of me on Total Drama Island,” Eva said. “I’m not proud of how I behaved back then, but I can’t change the past. All I can do is look to the future to do better.” She glared at the camera, smacking an open palm on the table. “And this time, I intend to _win_.”

* * *

**Confessional: Noah**

“Another season of torture and humiliation on national television,” Noah said dryly. “Whoop-de-freaking-doo. Still, if I’m gonna be stuck here for the next while, I might as well do my best to try and win that million.”

* * *

**Confessional: Justin**

“I admit, season one wasn’t my best performance,” Justin said, admiring his reflection in a handheld mirror. “I thought that I could coast by on my looks alone, and it cost me the game. This time around, I plan on being a bit more…” he shot the camera a wicked smirk, “ _proactive_.”

* * *

**Confessional: Katie and Sadie**

“It’s so good to be back in the game!” Sadie said, Katie sitting beside her. “And I’m here again with my best friend in the world! Oh, I hope we can be on the same team again.”

“Me too!” Katie said. Her smile fell, and she looked serious. “Just remember what we talked about. If one of us gets voted off again, we can’t let it ruin the other’s game like we did last time. For each other’s sake, we have to stay focused and do our best to win!”

Sadie nodded firmly. “Got it. I won’t let you down, bestie!”

* * *

**Confessional: Lindsay and Tyler**

The two spend their time in the confessional making out, eventually falling out of the chair to the floor.

* * *

**Confessional: Beth**

“This is great!” Said the beaming Beth. “I get another chance to compete, this time without a stupid curse to mess me up. And the best part? _No Heather!_ ”

* * *

**Confessional: Cody**

“The Codemiester is back for round two, baby!” Cody said, leaning back in the chair. “And this time, he’s going all the way! So help me, I’ll walk away from this game with either a girlfriend or a million dollars. Preferably both, but I’d be happy with just one.”

* * *

**Confessional: Courtney**

“This game is _mine_ ,” Courtney said firmly. “The only reason I didn’t win season one is because I was _cheated._ And with no saboteurs this time around, there’s nothing stopping me from claiming that grand prize.”

* * *

**Confessional: Dakota**

“Hello, lovely viewers,” Dakota said, winking at the camera. “The one-and-only Dakota here, ready to start my path to stardom! This show will be the first step in my award-winning acting career. Just watch: I give it three episodes before the producers offer me a spin-off.”

* * *

**Confessional: Lightning**

“Take a good look, y’all,” Lightning said, flexing his biceps. “You’re looking at the future winner of Total Drama Action, right here! These losers are about to get struck by Lightning!”

* * *

**Confessional: Cameron**

“This is my first time being on a TV show,” Cameron said. “In fact, it’s my first time doing much of _anything_ , really. Being born with a really weak immune system combined with an overprotective mom meant spending most of my life in a sterile bubble. I won’t lie, I’m a little nervous…” He gulped, before nodding. “But I’m not gonna let that stop me. I’m finally experiencing life in the real world, and I intend to make the most of it.”

* * *

**Confessional: Jo**

“I stand by what I said on the trolley,” Jo said, arms crossed. “Sure, there’s a couple of folks that might be decent competition, but I’ll squash most of these chumps like bugs.”

* * *

**Confessional: Sky**

“I think I’ve got a good shot at winning this,” Sky said. “From what I saw in season one, a lot of challenges on this show are physical, and I _am_ a gymnast.” She paused, frowning. “Of course, there’s also the matter of who I get teamed up with…”

* * *

**Confessional: Dave**

“I _need_ to win these challenges,” Dave said with wide, almost manic eyes. “I want to avoid eating Chef Hatchet’s food and sleeping in that broken down trailer as much as possible. I swear I need a tetanus shot just from _looking_ at that thing.”

* * *

**Confessional: Leonard**

“I have fought against vampires, demons, dark wizards and monsters from beyond time and space,” Leonard said, waving his arms dramatically. “For years I have honed my skills and spells, and they shall carry me on to glory and victory!”

* * *

**Confessional: Sam**

“Years of gaming have given me excellent hand-eye coordination and cat-like reflexes,” Sam boasted. “So yeah, I’d say I’ve got this game in the bag.”

* * *

**Confessional: Scott**

“Boy, we seem to have quite a few strong and smart players competing in this season,” Scott said, fiddling with a pocketknife. He gave the camera a cruel grin, stabbing the blade into the desk. “I’ll have to fix that.”

* * *

**Confessional: Dawn**

“I’ve only gotten a small glimpse at the other’s auras,” Dawn setting, sitting with her legs folded and her hands in her lap, “but from what I’ve seen so far, this season promises to be very… interesting.”

* * *

**Confessional: Ella**

“ _What a glorious day, what a glorious time~!_ ” Ella sang, hands clasped together in front of her. _“Here I’ll surely have the time of my life~! Have lots of fun, make brand new friends~! Maybe even win money at the end~!_ ”

Ella paused, frowning as she brought a finger to her chin. “Hmm, not bad. I think I need to work on my metre though…”

* * *

“Okay, now it’s time we form our teams for the season,” Chris said as the contestants gathered before him. And to keep things simple, we’re diving you into teams of rookies and veterans! Ella, Dawn, Scott, Jo, Sky, Dakota, Sam, Cameron, Dave, Lightning and Leonard: from now on, you’ll be known as the Screaming Gaffers!”

“And the veterans!” Owen said excitedly. “Noah, Eva, Ezekiel, Courtney, Katie, Sadie, Beth, Lindsay, Cody, Tyler and Justin! You all get to be the Killer Grips!”

The teens divided themselves into two seperate groups. Katie and Sadie looked thrilled to be kept together, as did Beth, Lindsay and Tyler. The rookies looked around at one another, still not sure what to make of their new teammates.

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: your first challenge!” Chris announced. “Earlier Ezekiel mentioned getting settled in. Before we do that, I assume you all wanna stay in that swank winner’s trailer, right?” Everyone nodded. “Well your first challenge will be to find the key to that trailer!”

Chris walked over to one of the large garage doors on the side of Studio One, producing a remote from his pocket. “This season is all about movies, with challenges based on popular movie genres. Your first challenge will be paying tribute to the classic adventure film, where brave explorers trek through dangerous and exotic locations in search of treasure and riches. Behold!”

He pressed a button on the remote, and the garage door slid open. The contestants gasped.

Inside the dimly lit studio stood a massive stone temple, styled like the pyramids of ancient Mesoamerica. Vines of ivy climbed the crumbling gray walls. Torches burned along the stairs leading up to the entrance, where a pair of muscular Chris McLean statues stood watch.

“Within the mystical Temple of McLean,” Chris said, “lie dozens of puzzles and challenges for you to face. Some will be physical, some will be mental, and some will require teamwork. Each one will reward you with a key, but only _one_ is the real key to unlock the winner’s trailer. The first team to find that key wins the challenge.”

“And you’ll be happy to know,” Owen said, “the losers will _not_ have to send someone home! This first challenge is a non-elimination, so we can get a feel for your skills and how well you work together. Now, everyone to the starting line!”

The starting line in question was a white line on the floor, just past the garage door bay. The contestants lined up before it, everyone wearing determined expressions.

Chris grinned and held up one hand. “On your marks! Get set.... Go!”

He threw down his hand, and the race was on.


	2. The Treasure of Temple McLean

The sound of thundering footfalls echoed through the studio as the twenty-two teenagers raced up the steps of the faux temple. Up close, the teens saw that the stone was just painted plaster, the vines were rubber, and the torches were plastic-covered light bulbs. The Killer Grips and Screaming Gaffers kept clustered together with Courtney, Eva, Tyler, Lightning, Sky and Jo leading their respective packs.

“So,” Scott said, glancing around at his team, “does anyone here actually have a plan?”

“Yeah,” said Lightning, “we just find the key to that swank winner’s trailer. Duh.”

Scott rolled his eyes. “I  _ know  _ what the challenge is, I mean a plan on how to actually do that.”

“Chris said this temple is full of keys,” Cameron said, “but that we’ll need to face puzzles and mini-challenges to get them.”

“ _ And  _ hope we actually find the right one,” Sam added.

“I think I have an idea,” Sky said. “Lightning, are you a fast runner?”

Lighting gave her a cocky smirk. “I once set a school record for a seventy-yard rush touchdown.  _ That  _ answer your question?”

“No one’s asking for your life story, Thunderhead,” Jo said. “But I think I see where Sky’s going with this. Lightning stays at the entrance and runs the keys back to the trailer to see if they work?”

“Right,” Sky nodded. “Then the rest of us split up into smaller groups inside the temple so we can cover more ground.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dakota said, the rest of the team voicing their approval.

“Lightning will be your running back, sure,” Lightning said. “Y’all just make sure you find the winning key!”

Over with the Killer Grips, Noah turned to his team as they continued their ascent.

“You guys hear that?” He asked, and was met with nods.

“Sounds like the Gaffers have the right idea,” Tyler said. “I volunteer to be our key runner, since I’m one of the fastest here.”

“Hey, I’m fast too,” Eva said.

“Yeah but you’re fast  _ and  _ strong,” Courtney said. “We’ll need your muscles if we need to do any heavy lifting. Tyler, you’re on key duty. Everyone else, follow me! Let’s move, people!”

With a burst of energy, the Killer Grips pulled ahead and became the first to reach the entrance to Temple McLean. The archway opened up to a spacious chamber lit by glowing faux torches on the walls, vines growing between the cracks. Two more archways branched off into deeper sections of the temple, and the Grips hurried down the path on the left. The Gaffers arrived just as the last of the veterans vanished down the leftward tunnel and quickly took off down the right, leaving Tyler and Lightning at the entrance.

“You and the Grips and goin’ down, Tyler,” Lightning said smugly.

“That’s what you think, rookie,” Tyler shot back. “We’ve got a full season of experience under our belts!”

“Pssh, none of ya’ll even made it to the merge!”

“Details, details. Points is, we know what to expect from Total Drama. This challenge is ours!”

* * *

The Screaming Gaffers raced down a short flight of stairs into another section of hallway. Torches dotted the walls at intervals of several feet, bathing the corridor in long shadows. The ten teens came to a halt as the hallway split off in two directions

“So now what?” Dave asked. “Split up into two groups of five?”

“Looks like it,” Jo said. “Let’s try and get a mix of brains, brawn and skill in each group.” She pointed to Cameron, Scott, Dawn and Ella. “String Bean, Dirt Boy, Squeaky and Snow White, you’re with me. Sky, you take Blandalf, Joystick, Barbie and Chicken Legs. Once we find a key, one of us heads back to pass it off to Thunderhead while the others keep going to find more. Now let’s win this thing!”

Jo took off with her group down the right path, leaving Sky to leave her group down the right. It wasn’t long before they came across their first key, resting on an indent in the wall covered by glass. On one side of it was a numbered keypad; the other, a shelf that held a jar full of colorful marbles.

“ _ A key so close, and yet so far _ ,” Ella read aloud the inscription above the case. “ _ To obtain it, show how clever you are. How many marbles lie in the jar? _ ”

“Alright, a brain teaser!” Cameron said with a big smile. “Leave this one to me, guys!” From his pocket he produced a pencil and small notepad, and began to scribble away while muttering to himself. “Let’s see, the marbles seem to be approximately two centimetres in diameter. And the jar looks to be twenty centimetres tall and twelve across… circumference equals pi times radius-squared-”

“Argh, this is taking too long!” Jo snapped, making everyone jump. She grabbed the jar, unscrewed the lid and dumped the marbles onto the floor, the glass balls cascading like a rainbow waterfall. When the last marble was gone she put the jar back on the shelf and pressed a single number on the keypad. “Zero!”

She smashed the enter button. There was a pause, and the tiny speaker beneath the keypad gave a  _ ding _ as the glass covering the key slid open.

Cameron pursed his lips. “Well that doesn’t seem very sporting.”

“This game ain’t about following the rules, String Bean,” Jo said, snatching the key and tossing it to him. “It’s about doing whatever it takes to win. Now get that key to Lightning, on the double!”

“Y-yes ma’am!” Cameron said as he ran back the way they came, narrowly avoiding slipping on some marbles. Jo, Scott, Ella and Dawn took off in the other direction. They soon came to another fork in the path.

“Guess we’re splitting again,” Jo said. “Come on Scott, let’s head this way.”

She started down the right path, only to stop when Dawn’s arm shot out in front of her.

“Wait,” Dawn said, staring intently down the right path. “I’m sensing a dark energy coming from this direction. I think we’d all be better off taking the path on the left.”

“What, and potentially miss out on more keys?” Scott asked, narrowing his eyes at Dawn. He shook his head as he started walking forward. “Well my gut says this way is just fine, and I trust it way more than some freaky girl’s mumbo-jumb -  _ ahh! _ ”

Scott screamed as the floor broke apart beneath him, sending him tumbling down into darkness. Jo, Dawn and Ella peered over the edge of the open pit to see Scott lying at the bottom in a crumpled heap.

“And what does your gut say now?” Dawn asked.

Scott groaned in pain. “Lucky guess...”

Jo examined the pit. It stretched across the entire width of the hall leaving no edge to shimmy across, and was too long to jump across. “Damn, looks like this way is out. You girls help Scott out of this pit, I’m gonna check out the other hallway.”

Jo turned and took off at a light jog. Ella and Dawn nodded at each other and knelt down next to the pit, extending their hands down. Scott climbed to his feet and grabbed their hands, planting his feet on the wall to push himself up while Ella and Dawn pulled. When Scott was close enough to the lip of the pit he let go of the girl’s hands and grabbed the edge, grunting as he hauled himself up and over.

“Are you okay, Scott?” Ella asked as she helped him to his feet.

“I’m fine,” Scott replied, dusting himself off. “Only thing that hurts is my pride. Come on, let’s catch up with Jo before she gets too far.”

The three Gaffers took off down the left path. As they ran, Scott cast a suspicious glance in Dawn’s direction.

* * *

**Confessional: Scott**

“I have an… unorthodox strategy for this game,” Scott explained. “My plan is to sabotage my own team, eliminating the stronger players early on while also lulling the Killer Grips into a false sense of security so they won’t see me coming. I had planned on targeting Sky, Jo and Lightning to start, but I may need to keep an eye on Dawn as well.” 

He shrugged. “Kinda sucks then that this first challenge is a non-elimination, but at least now I can get a feel for my team to see who I should prioritize eliminating first. And in the meantime I may as well try to help us win. I don’t mind the loser’s trailer too much since I grew up on a farm, but I  _ really  _ wanna check out that hot tub in the rec center.”

* * *

On the opposite side of the temple, the Killer Grips had stopped at the base of the stairs they had just come down, also finding themselves before two branching paths.

“Let’s keep this simple,” Courtney said. “Remember our old teams from Wawanakwa? Screaming Gophers take one side, Killer Bass take the other. As soon as you find a key, one person from the group brings it to Tyler while the others keep searching. Let’s move it, people!”

Courtney raced off down the left path, her group following close behind. They soon came across an arched doorway that opened up into a small room - barely big enough for more than two people to fit inside at once - with a  _ very  _ high ceiling, a key dangling from a string above them.

“Well there’s a key,” Ezekiel said, “but how the hell are we supposed to get it, eh?”

Eva ran her fingers down one of the walls, frowning. “The walls are too smooth to be able to climb,” she said. “Maybe we could stand on each other’s shoulders? Make a human tower?”

Courtney shook her head. “That key has to be at least forty feet up,” she said. “Unless we go back and get the rest of the Grips we’d never reach it. We’ll have to try throwing something-”

“I’ve got it!” Sadie said suddenly, startling everyone. “Katie, remember our favorite Disney movie from when we were kids?  _ The Prince’s New Moves? _ ”

“The one where that selfish prince got transformed into an alpaca?” Katie replied, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, what about it?”

“Remember that scene where the prince and the farmer had to work together to climb up out of the canyon?”

Katie nodded, then her eyes widened and she grinned. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh yeah!”

Courntey, Ezekiel and Eva looked between the BFFFL’s, perplexed. “What are you two even talking about?” Courtney demanded.

“Just trust us!” Katie said, she and Sadie pushing past them into the room. The two girls turned away from each other, pressed their backs together and linked arms. “On the count of three, ‘kay Sadie?

Sadie nodded. “Got it!”

“Alright one… two… three!”

Both girls planted their right feet on the walls they faced, stretching their legs out.

“Now… left!” Sadie said with a grunt. The girls pushed against each other as they lifted their left feet to press against the wall, the force of their pushing keeping the girls suspended above the ground.

“Right!” Katie said, and both girls lifted their right feet again, lifting themselves higher.

Ezekiel, Eva and Courtney watched in amazement as Katie and Sadie slowly but surely scaled the chamber, climbing higher and higher with each step they took.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Eva said, sounding genuinely impressed. “The Wonder Twins are actually pulling it off.”

After several more steps, the girls were almost to the top. Katie looked up to see the key dangling in the air, tantalizingly close.

“I’m going for the key, Sadie,” Katie said, her voice cracking from the strain of pushing both against both the wall and Sadie. She unhooked one of her arms, and the girls wavered slightly as they struggled to stay balanced. Katie reached up with her now-free hand, but couldn’t quite reach. “Come on, come on…”

“I got you,” Sadie said. With a grunt she pushed against the wall with both feet, stretching her legs out as far as she could to give Katie a boost. Katie likewise stretched her arm out as hard as she could, grimacing as her muscles screamed.

“Almost… almost…” with a lunge she grabbed for the key, barking out a triumphant laugh as she fingers wrapped around it. “Yes got it -  _ oh God no! _ ”

That final lunge had thrown off the girl’s delicate balancing act, sending them both falling forty feet to the hard ground below where they landed in a heap of tangled limbs.

“Yes, the key!” Courtney cheered, snatching the key out of Katie’s outstretched hand. She ran up to shove it into Ezekiel’s hands, then roughly grabbed Eva’s wrist. “Hurry Zeke, get that to Cody! Come on Eva, let’s find more keys! Go go  _ go! _ ”

Ezekiel dashed off back the way they had come from while Courtney dragged Eva down the hallway. Katie and Sadie groaned in pain as they pulled themselves apart.

“No, we’re  _ totally  _ fine,” Katie called out in annoyance, rubbing a bump on her head. “But thanks for checking on us!”

“Your concern is touching!” Sadie added, wincing as she gingerly touched her bruised elbow.

* * *

Ezekiel panted as he raced up the stairs, through the main hallway and into the entry chamber. Tyler and Lightning, standing at the temple entrance, looked up at the sound of Ezekiel’s approaching footsteps. Tyler beamed, while Lightning grimaced.

“Got a key for you bro,” Ezekiel said, running up and passing Tyler the key. “Go win that trailer for us, eh!”

“I’m on it!” Tyler said, nodding as he ran out of the temple. Ezekiel turned on his heels and raced back into the Grip’s section of the temple, leaving Lightning alone.

“Come on, come on…” Lightning muttered, tapping his foot and biting his bottom lip as he stared at the Gaffer’s hallway. It was several seconds later before Cameron came rushing out with a key in hand, panting heavily. “About time! The Grips are in the lead! Toss me that key, kid.”

“Certainly, Lighting,” Cameron said, pausing to adjust his glasses. He cocked his arm back. “Here it comes!”

With a grunt of effort, Cameron hurled the key as hard as he could. It flew through the air…

… and landed five feet away.

“Seriously?” Lightning asked, giving Cameron a flat stare.

“Sorry,” Cameron said sheepishly. “Physical activity isn’t really my thing…”

Rolling his eyes, Lightning ran up to grab the key before rushing out of the temple. He raced down the steps skipping two at a time and ran to the open studio doors, pausing as he stepped outside and was momentarily blinded by the harsh sunlight. When his vision cleared, he looked to the left and saw Tyler standing in front of the distant winner’s trailer, panting heavily. Lightning took off like a bolt.

“Please be the winner, please be the winner,” Tyler muttered to himself as he inserted the key. He tried to turn it, but it wouldn’t budge. “Aw man! It’s a dud!”

“Out of the way, loser!” Lightning said as she shoulder-checked Tyler, shoving his fellow jock aside. He ripped out the key and inserted his own, beaming with pride. “And the Lightning scores the winning goal for the Killer Grips! Bada-bing, bada-”

He tried to turn the key, but it stuck fast.

“Sha-damn it,” Lightning grumbled, tossing the key aside. “Stupid loser key ruining Lightning’s big moment.”

Dejected, both boys made their way back to Studio One with their heads hung low.

* * *

“ _ Attention, contestants, _ ” Chris’s voice echoed through Temple McLean, coming from various speakers placed throughout the structure.  _ “So far both teams have found one key, and both were duds! It’s still anyone’s game. _ ”

The announcement came as Dave, Leonard, Sam, Sky and Dakota peered through a doorway. A lone key sat on a raised pedestal at the end of a long, narrow chamber.

“Alright, easy key,” Dakota said with a smile.

“Yeah… almost  _ too  _ easy,” Sam said, narrowing his eyes. “My gamer instincts are going nuts right now.”

“Agreed,” Leonard said, nodding. “I’ve delved into enough dungeons to know a trap when I see one.”

Dakota rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so paranoid you two. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Dave stared at her, incredulous. “Have you ever  _ seen  _ this show before?”

“Yes, and I’m confident I can handle whatever Chris McLean can throw at me.” Dakota pulled a compact from her pocket, checking her reflection to make sure she looked her best before snapping it shut and stepping beyond the threshold. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a key to get.”

“Well at least let me come with you,” Sam said, following beyond.

Sky, Dave and Leonard stood back and watched as Dakota and Sam made their way to the key. Dakota moved at a leisurely pace while Sam moved in quick bursts, his body tense and alert, eyes scanning every direction for hidden threats.

“See? Nothing to worry about,” Dakota said as she reached the pedestal. Sam started to reply when he stopped, kneeling down to examine the floor.

“Huh, that’s weird. The floor inclines upwards the further in we go,” he muttered, scratching his chin. “Wait a second. Long hallway… slanted floor…”

He gasped and shot up, eyes wide in fear. “Dakota wait don’t -!”

But it was too late: Dakota grabbed the key from its resting place, holding it high. “And the lovely Dakota scores the winning key for her team,” she said with a smug smile, flipping her hair back. “Winner’s trailer here we-”

Behind her, there was a mechanical click. Dakota turned in time to see the pedestal sink into the ground and a large portion of the back wall slide away. From the darkness within came a low rumbling sound, growing louder by the second.

“Oh,” she said, taking a step back as her eyes widened, “that can’t be good.”

Sam shot forward, grabbing her wrist. “Run!”

The two took off sprinting down the hall just as an enormous boulder dropped from the ceiling and started rolling towards them. Leonard, Sky and Dave jumped back in fright, unable to do anything but watch as their teammates ran for their lives. Sam and Dakota ran as fast as their legs could carry them, the boulder gaining fast.

“Can’t die still a virgin, can’t die still a virgin, can’t die still a virgin,” Sam chanted to himself.

“Can’t die haven’t won an Oscar, can’t die haven’t won an Oscar, can’t die haven’t won an Oscar,” Dakota chanted to herself.

As they neared the doorway, Sam grabbed Dakota’s wrist and made a mad leap for safety. The two sailed through the doorway, landing hard on the cold floor. Less than a second later the boulder slammed into the doorway with a thunderous boom, cracking the walls and briefly shaking the whole temple.

On the floor, Sam groaned in pain as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He yelped as he felt Dakota’s arms wrap around him in a tight hug.

“O-M-G, thank you  _ so  _ much,” Dakota said. “Getting crushed by a boulder would  _ not  _ have been a good look for me.” She gasped, letting go of Sam and pulling out her mirror. “Does my hair still look okay?!”

“You look fine, Dakota,” Sky said, reaching down to take the key. “From now on though, let’s be just a  _ little  _ more careful with these rooms, okay?”

Dakota smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I need to get some good action shots of me doing these challenges, and I guess I got caught up in the moment.”

“I’ll take the key to Sir Lightning,” Leonard said, and sky handed him the key. “I shall rejoin you momentarily. Good luck on your quest, fellow adventurers!”

Leonard turned on his heels and ran down the hall, lifting his robe with one hand. Sky and Dave helped Sam and Dakota to their feet, and the four continued further into the temple. It wasn’t long before they came across another room, this one with a key resting on an indent in the wall, covered by glass. Two ropes dangled from the ceiling, with two large red buttons beside them at the top.

“ _ ‘Press both buttons at the same time to obtain your key,’” _ Sky read aloud the instructions on the wall. “Well I’m a gymnast so I’m climbing for sure. Dakota?”

“Don’t look at me,” Dakota said, standing off to the side and filing her nails. “I almost got ran over by a boulder; I’ve already contributed plenty for this challenge.”

“And I’m not really much for climbing,” Sam said, patting his stomach. “Unless it involves button prompts.”

“Guess it’s up to you and me then, Dave,” Sky said as she stepped into the room. Dave gulped, but nodded and followed her.

* * *

**Confessional: Dave**

“So I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet, but I’m something of a germaphobe,” Dave said. As he spoke, he pulled a cloth out of his pocket and leaned forward to wipe some spots off the vanity’s mirror. “That’s probably going to be an issue for me down the road, since I  _ know  _ there’s gross and disgusting challenges to come. If I don’t want my teammates to think I’m just dragging them down when those come, I’ll have to prove I can be useful in other areas.”

He smiled. “Plus maybe I can impress that Sky girl. She seems nice, and she’s kind of cute…”

* * *

Sky and Dave took their places at the ropes and started to climb. Being an athlete and gymnast Sky had an easy time, making it to the top with no trouble. She looked over and saw that Dave was barely halfway up his rope, clinging to it for dear life and occasionally casting a fearful glance downwards.

“You can do it, Dave,” Sky called out, and Dave looked in her direction. “Just take it slow and don’t look down.”

“R-right,” Dave said, looking straight up at the button. He climbed slowly but surely, putting one hand above the other and hauling himself upwards with all the strength his skinny arms could muster. “Don’t look down, don’t look down…”

Finally, he reached the top. Still keeping a death grip on the rope with one hand, Dave let go with the other and held it out over the button.

“On the count of three,” Sky said, doing the same. “One, two, three!”

Both teens pressed their buttons at once. Below them, the glass over the key slid up and into the wall.

“Yes, victory!” Sam cheered, rushing forward to grab the key. “I’ll run the key out this time.”

He ran out of the room as Sky slid down her rope with practiced ease. She looked up and saw Dave still clinging to the top of the rope, not looking down.

“You’re good Dave,” she said. “Just inch yourself down nice and easy.”

“Got it,” Dave replied, and slowly started moving his hands. “Okay, nice and easy. Nice and eas -  _ eeeee! _ ”

Unfortunately his palms were so slick with nervous sweat that the rope slipped out of his grasp, sending a screaming Dave falling through the air. Sky ran over with her arms outstretched, just in time to catch Dave before he hit the ground.

“Whoa!” Dave gasped. He gave Sky a grateful smile. “That was close! Thanks for the help, Sky.”

Sky smiled back. “No problem,” she said, setting him down on his feet, “and you did good with your climbing. Your descending could really use some work though.”

Dave chuckled. “Guess I should’ve paid more attention in climbing class.”

Sky blinked. “... You mean gym?”

“Y-yeah, you know with like the climbing ropes, and the um, walls and stuff…” Sky stared blankly at him, and Dave chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Lets just, um, go find more keys.”

* * *

In the Grip's section of the temple, Cody, Justin, Noah, Lindsay and Beth stared at the inscription on the wall, a key sitting in an ident behind glass just below it.

"' _ This key is yours but first we must ask, how many sides does a circle have?'"  _ Beth read aloud, looking in confusion at the keypad next to the glass. "What is this, some kind of riddle?"

"It must be, I just can't figure out what the trick is," Justin said, scratching his head. "How many  _ sides _ does a circle have?"

Lindsay pursed her lips. "Okay I know I got D in geometry, but I'm pretty sure a circle doesn't have any sides, right?"

"Come on guys, seriously?" Noah asked, looking incredulously between his teammates. Rolling his eyes he pushed past them, pressing a single number on the keypad and the enter button. "A circle has  _ two  _ sides, the inside and the outside."

The speaker below the keypad  _ dinged _ and the glass slid upwards.

"Called it," Noah said, taking the key. "Man where did Chris get that riddle? The kid's menu at Burger Emperor?"

* * *

In the Total Drama Action command center, Chris and Owen sat before a long table lined with monitors, each one showing a feed from the dozens of cameras inside Temple McLean. The speakers relayed Noah's words, and Chris paled.

"Shit! He's onto us!" Chris cried. "Owen! Full system purge, on the double!"

"I'm on it!" Owen said as he pulled open a nearby filing cabinet and started pulling out grease-stained paper menus, ripping them up and shoving them in the garbage.

* * *

“I’ll get the key to Tyler, you guys go on ahead,” Cody said. Noah nodded and tossed him the key. Cody took off back towards the entrance while the other four teens made their way deeper into the temple. They soon found themselves at a forked path.

“Looks like we need to split up again,” Beth said, grabbing Lindsay’s hand. “Come on Lindsay, let’s take the left path.”

“Okay, bestie,” Lindsay said with a smile, and the two girls began walking down the left corridor.

“Guess it’s you and me then, Noah,” Justin said, starting down the right path.

“Oh goodie,” Noah deadpanned, following behind.

The two walked in silence until they came across a deep pit set into a recess in the wall. A rope attached to a pulley led down into the hole. Peering into it, Noah and Justin saw the glint of a key at the bottom, tied to a large weight.

“Guess we’re supposed to pull the key up,” Noah said. He gave the rope and experimental tug, frowning when it didn’t budge an inch. “Yeesh, this thing’s pretty heavy. Want me to go find Eva?”

“No need,” Justin said, cracking his knuckles. He grabbed the rope, planted his feet firmly on the ground and started to pull. The pulley squeaked as the rope was pulled out and the weight started to rise. 

Noah looked down at the rising weight then over to Justin, clearly surprised. Justin chuckled.

“What? These muscles aren’t just for show, you know” he said, voice slightly strained from exertion. “So Noah, I’ve been thinking: how would you feel about an alliance?”

Noah raised an eyebrow. “Bit early to be thinking about alliances, isn’t it?”

“It’s never too early to form partnerships. Besides, I think you and I would make a good team.”

“Really?” Noah crossed his arms, not even bothering to hide his skepticism.

“I mean it. You’ve got the brains and I have the brawn. Plus as the first two players voted off the Screaming Gophers in season one, we’ve both got something to prove. I don’t know about you, but  _ I  _ sure wanna make up for my poor performance last time. And no offense, but you didn’t exactly make a whole lot of friends with your attitude.”

Noah frowned, thinking back to his elimination back on Total Drama Island, and the actions - or specifically,  _ lack  _ of action - that led up to it.

“Yeah…” Noah said reluctantly, “in hindsight, not even putting in a token effort during that dodgeball challenge  _ may  _ not have been the best idea.”

“I feel the same way about how I thought I could coast by on my looks alone,” Justin said. “So what do you say? Let’s work together and show that we’re more than just a big brain and a pretty face.”

Noah was silent for several long seconds. “I’ll consider it,” he said finally.

“That’s all I ask.” With a final grunt, Justin had hauled the weight up close enough for Noah to reach down and grab the key. He let go of the rope, letting the weight fall with a heavy thud. “As a show of good faith, I’ll take the key back this time.”

“Fine by me,” Noah said. He tossed Justin the key and the model raced off. Noah stuffed his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the wall, deep in thought.

* * *

**Confessional: Noah**

“As much as it pains me to say it, Justin has a point,” Noah said, crossing his arms. “I’m not what you’d call ‘close’ to anyone here. Sure I interacted with the others a bit during my time at Playa De Losers, but that doesn’t put me on the same level as say, Katie and Sadie or Lindsay and Beth. I’ll need to start forming alliances sooner rather than later… but at the same time, I still don’t completely trust Justin.”

* * *

**Confessional: Justin**

“Yeah, I heard what Noah said about me during the tram ride earlier,” Justin said. “He may be completely lacking in social skills, but he  _ is  _ one of the smartest people on our team, so I’d much rather have him with me than against me.” He smirked. “For now, at least.”

* * *

Back at the temple entrance, Tyler and Lightning returned just in time to see Leonard come rushing out of the Gaffer’s side of the temple, much to Lightning’s joy.

“I present to you a key, Sir Lightning,” Leonard said as he passed the key to Lightning. “Go forth with haste and speed, mighty warrior!”

“Sha-sweet!” Lightning cheered, pumping a fist in the air. “Gaffers are back in the lead, baby!”

Tyler watched in apprehension Lightning ran out the door and Leonard ran back down the darkened hallway. He didn’t have long to wait though before Cody came rushing into the entry chamber, shoving a key into Tyler’s hands.

“Thanks, Code-miester,” Tyler said before taking off. By the time he made it down the steep temple steps and out of the studio, Lightning was already at the winner’s trailer.

“Another dud?!” Lightning exclaimed when his key wouldn’t fit into the lock. “You gotta be kidding me!”

He threw the key away and stomped off, muttering darkly under his breath as Tyler raced past him.

“Come on, big money big money big money no whammy no whammy…” Tyler said, jamming his key into the trailer’s lock. “Stop!”

The key wouldn’t turn.

“Aw come on!”

With a sigh, Tyler turned and started jogging back to Studio One. He got halfway up the steps of Temple McLean when Lightning came running out of the structure, holding another key.

“Already?!” Tyler gasped, quickly jumping out of the way as Lightning went flying down the steps. “Damn it, these newbies are quick!”

“It’s not over yet!” Tyler heard Justin call out. He looked up to see Justin at the top of the steps, right as the male model lobbed a key into the air. “Head’s up, Tyler!”

“I got it!” Tyler said, leaping in the air. He caught the key in an open palm, but failed to stick the landing and tripped, sending him tumbling end-over-end down the stairs.

Justin quickly threw a hand over his eyes, wincing at the sound of screaming mixed with the painful  _ thwacks  _ of flailing limbs smacking against plaster steps. When it finally stopped, he tentatively uncovered his eyes. Tyler lay face-down at the base of the staircase, where he slowly raised one hand in a shaky thumbs-up.

“I’m okay…” he croaked. Tyler groaned as he slowly pushed himself up, wiping the blood dribbling down from his nose away with his sleeve. “C’mon Tyler, power through it…”

He pulled himself to his feet, limping out of the studio as fast as he could. He got outside just in time to hear Lightning scream in frustration as he hurled another dud key away. Ignoring the pain shooting through his body, Tyler found the strength to jog past the scowling Lightning to the winner’s trailer.

His key didn’t even fit into the lock.

“... crap…”

* * *

**Confessional: Tyler**

“Oof, the season’s barely started and I’ve already taken a beating,” Tyler groaned in the confessional as he held an ice pack to his head, his body covered in bruises. “Can’t let it get to me though. I went out on a  _ really  _ bad note in season one, and now’s my chance to redeem myself. It’ll take more than a few bruises, cracked ribs and internal bleeding to slow Tyler down!”

* * *

“ _ Six keys down and still no winner! _ ”

Courtney looked up sharply at the sound of Chris’s announcement, standing in an archway that opened into another small room.

“Urg, how many keys are in this place anyways?” Courtney growled. She looked into the chamber. “How’s it going with that key, Eva?”

“Working on it!” Eva replied through gritted teeth, hanging onto a pull-up bar. Metal weights were wrapped around her wrists and ankles, with a large metal plate set into the floor directly beneath her. Per the instructions on the chamber wall, someone needed to do fifty pull-ups while wearing the weights, while the magnet beneath them gradually increased in strength with every pull-up. Eva grunted with effort, her muscles and veins bulging as she strained against the powerful pull of the magnet.

“Forty-eight… forty-n-nine…” Eva panted, gripping the bar so tight that her knuckles turned white. The magnet hummed loudly, now set to maximum strength. Sweat dripped down Eva’s brow as she pulled herself upwards with all her might. “Ffffifty!”

The magnet abruptly shut off. With a gasp Eva let go, dropping to one knee as she took several deep breaths. Over on the wall, the glass that had been covering the key slid away.

“Finally!” Courtney said, dashing over to grab the key. “This one  _ has  _ to be the winner, I’m sure of it!”

She turned on her heels and went sprinting out of the room, running right into Katie and Sadie in the halls.

“ _ Whoa!” _

_ “Eek!” _

“Out of my way!” Courtney screamed. Katie and Sadie jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding Courtney as she bolted past them without breaking stride. The BFFFL’s glared in her direction as she rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

“Okay like,  _ what  _ is her deal?” Katie asked with a scowl.

“I swear she’s gotten way more competitive since season one,” Sadie said, nodding.

“You really that surprised?” They heard Eva asked. Katie and Sadie turned as a red-faced and sweating Eva walked out of the room, shedding her weights and tossing them behind her. “This is  _ Courtney  _ we’re talking about. The girl who could barely enjoy Playa De Losers ‘cause she was so hung up about how she lost back on Total Drama Island.”

All three rolled their eyes as they remembered how Courtney would spend most of her time at the loser’s resort sulking and ranting about ‘the injustice of her elimination’ to anyone who would listen.

“I mean yeah, she got kind of a raw deal,” Sadie said. “Still, she could really stand to turn it down a notch.”

“Yeah, it’s only the first challenge,” Katie added. “ _ And  _ we’re not even up for elimination if we lose.”

Eva paused, thinking. “Let’s wait and see how things play out,” she finally said. “Give Miss CIT a chance to show there’s more to her than just talk. And if she can’t put her money where her mouth is…” she glanced between Katie and Sadie, smiling. “Well, we can always remember this when we  _ do  _ have to vote someone off.”

Katie and Sadie exchanged glances. “Are you suggesting an alliance?” Sadie asked warily.

“I mean, no offense Eva, but you can be kind of… intense,” Katie said.

Eva sighed. “Yeah I know, I had that whole issue with my temper back at Wawanakwa. But like I said, I’ve been working to keep my anger under control. I’m not gonna lose my cool over every little thing anymore.”

Katie and Sadie looked to one another again, still uncertain.

“We’ll think about it,” Sadie finally said.

Eva nodded, then smiled. “That’s fine. For what it’s worth, you guys did a pretty good job getting us that first key. Didn’t expect that from you two.”

Katie and Sadie beamed with pride.

“I’m back!” They heard Ezekiel call out. They turned around to see the homeschooled teen round the corner. “What did I miss, eh?”

* * *

**Confessional: Katie and Sadie**

“What do you think about Eva’s offer?” Katie asked Sadie.

“Well I mean Eva  _ is  _ really tough, so she’d make a good ally,” Sadie said. “ _ If  _ she can keep her temper under control. And we know Courtney is a strong player too, but she seriously needs to take a chill pill.”

Katie nodded. “I think we should just wait and see for now.” She grinned. “In the meantime, let’s you and I keep working together and dominate these challenges!”

The best friends cheered and exchanged a high-five.

* * *

In another room deep in the temple, Lindsay and Beth stood before a wall full of sliding stone tiles, each with a group of lines drawn on it. Their goal was simple: rearrange the tiles to form Chris McLean’s face to receive a key. The girls worked diligently, Beth sliding the tiles near the floor while Lindsay worked the ones up high above.

“So… how are things with your boyfriend?” Beth asked slyly. Lindsay sighed a dreamy sigh.

“Oh Beth, Tristan is the  _ best _ !” Lindsay said. 

“You mean Tyler?”

Lindsay blinked, then smacked her head. “Right right,  _ Tyler.  _ I like,  _ really  _ need to get better at names.” She smiled again. “But yeah, things are great with us! He’s funny, he’s sweet, he’s a total gentleman, he’s  _ really  _ good looking…” She paused as she shuffled a few tiles around, moving Chris’s eyes into the proper position. “And the best part? Not only are we on the same team this time around, but there’s no Heather to keep us apart!”

“Or boss us around,” Beth added. She slid a tile into place to form Chris’s distinctive cleft chin. “She was just the  _ worst _ .”

“Totally.” Lindsay slid the tiles that made up Chris’s hair into the proper order. “But you know? Heather aside, the two of us did make a pretty good team.”

Beth smiled as she completed Chris’s own. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“An alliance with my BFF?” Lindsay grinned, sliding Chris’s ear into place. “Oh yeah! As long as Tyler can be in it too!”

“Of course,” Beth nodded as she slid the final puzzle piece into its spot. “The three of us will be unstoppable!”

On the wall beside the puzzle, the glass covering the key slid to the side. Lindsay grabbed it, holding it up triumphantly. “Come on, bestie! We’ve got a challenge to win!”

* * *

“Okay, what the hell is this?” Scott asked, utterly perplexed.

Jo, Ella, Scott, Dawn and Cameron stood in a small chamber that housed a grand piano of all things. Just like before, a key sat on a wall indent behind glass, words written above it.

“‘ _ This key is yours for the taking, _ ’” Dawn read. “ _ Incidentally, did you know the famed composer Beethoven was DEAF?’” _

“Just what does  _ that  _ mean?” Cameron asked, adjusting his glasses. “Chris can’t seriously be asking us to play a Beethoven symphony to get that key, can he?”

“Hey Songbird, you’re big into singing and music,” Jo said. “Wanna take a crack at this?”

“Don’t look at me,” Ella said, holding up her gloved hands with her palms out. “I can play  _ Chopsticks  _ and  _ Heart and Soul _ , but that’s it. Sorry...”

“There’s gotta be more to it than that,” Cameron said, furrowing his brow and sticking his hands into his pockets. “I just can’t figure out what.”

“Maybe there’s a clue in that second part,” Dawn said. “There has to be a reason they brought up Beethoven being deaf.”

Ella hummed, tapping her chin. “Wait, deaf is capitalized. Deaf…” She gasped. “That’s it! D-E-A-F!”

“Uh, we can all spell, Ella,” Scott said snidely.

“No no! D-E-A-F, those are all musical notes!”

Ella rushed up to the piano and tapped four keys in a certain order, the notes echoing through the halls. The five looked over at the key as the glass covering it slid off to the side. The teens cheered.

“ _ Huzzah~!” _ Ella belted out, throwing her arms up.

“Not bad Songbird,” Jo said with a nod. She grabbed the key and tossed it to Ella, who caught it easily. “Bring that key to Lightning, and step on it!”

“I’m on my way!” Ella said as she skipped out of the room, humming a merry tune.

* * *

“Whoa!” Courtney said when she ran into the temple’s entry chamber and saw Tyler covered in bruises, a bandage wrapped around his head. “What happened to  _ you? _ ”

“Long story,” Tyler replied, waving a hand. “I’m okay though.”

“Good, ‘cause we’ve still got a challenge to win,” Courtney shoved her key into his hands. “Get moving!”

“I’m on it,” Tyler said. He turned to go when another voice called out from the Grip’s tunnel.

“ _ Oh Tyler! I have a little something for you!” _

Tyler perked up. “Lindsay!”

The blond bombshell came running out of the hallway. She came skidding to a halt when she saw the state Tyler was in, her blue eyes widening in shock. “O-M-G, are you okay?!”

“He’s fine, just hurry up and hand over that key,” Courtney said snappishly.

“But-”

“Don’t worry babe,” Tyler said, smiling for her as he held out a hand. “I’ve been through way worse than this, it’s all good.”

Lindsay frowned, but nodded and gave him the key. “Okay… but when this is over you are  _ so  _ letting me take care of you, okay?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way!” Tyler winked at her and ran out of the temple, limping slightly. Lindsay watched him go, only to yelp when she felt Courtney grab her arm.

“Let’s go, Lindsay,” Courtney insisted, dragging Lindsay along back to their hallway. “There’s still keys to be found!”

“Jeez Carol, will you  _ chill out  _ already?” Lindsay asked, glaring at her. “It’s like only the first challenge!”

“Yes, and I refuse to be on a team that loses the very first challenge two seasons in a row!”

From his spot next to the entrance, Lightning watched all of this with crossed arms and a furrowed brow, impatiently waiting for his next key.

“ _ Oh Lightning~, _ ” Ella’s voice rang out. She came skipping out of the Gaffer’s hallway, key in hand. “I have a key for-”

“Give it here!” Lightning practically screamed, startling Ella. Before she even knew what was happening Lighting raced up to her, grabbed the key and darted out of the temple.

“... um, you’re welcome?”

Lightning was panting as he went flying out of Studio One, his feet kicking up gravel. Up ahead, Tyler was already at the door of the winner’s trailer.

“That one’s a dud,” Tyler said with a sigh, tossing away a key that wouldn’t fit. His other key entered the lock, but wouldn’t turn. “Aaaand so is that one. Great.”

He wisely stepped aside before Lightning could shove him out of the way again. Lightning inserted the key and turned, resulting in a  _ click  _ from the tumblers in the lock.

“Another damn dud!” Lightning cursed, turning away. Beside him, Tyler gasped. “Lightning’s had it up to  _ here  _ with these stupid keys - wait a second.”

His eyes went wide as he whirled around. The key sat in the lock, turned on its side. He tentatively reached out to push the door with one hand.

It swung inward.

“ _ It’s all over! _ ” Owen’s excited voice called out from loudspeakers throughout the lot. “ _ The Screaming Gaffers have found the winning key! _ ”

“Sha-booyah!” Lightning cheered, jumping up.

Tyler sighed and slumped against the trailer.

* * *

“ _ Congratulations to the Screaming Gaffers, _ ” Chris said over Temple McLean’s intercom system. “ _ Not only is the winner’s trailer yours for the evening, but you also get to enjoy some of DJ’s homemade cooking for your next meals and have exclusive access to the rec center’s second floor! Enjoy, dudes!” _

Sky, who was about to reach into a glass case that housed a Goliath birdeater spider to get the key within, quickly withdrew her hand with a sigh of relief. Sam and Leonard exchanged high fives, Dakota cheered, while Dave dropped to his knees and bowed his head in reverence, weeping with joy at the thought of not having to sleep in the loser’s trailer.

In a nearby hallway, Ella broke out into a joyful song, Dawn merely smiled contentedly, Scott smirked and nodded with self-assurance, and a cheering Jo gave Cameron a good-natured slap on the back that accidentally sent the smaller boy sprawling to the floor.

_ “As for the Killer Grips,”  _ Chris clicked his tongue, and the contestants could practically see the host shaking his head. “ _ I have to say, I’m a little disappointed. I honestly expected more from veterans of the show. Not a great start for you guys, let me tell you” _

“Oh shut up already,” Noah grumbled, standing beside a sulking Justin.

“ _ And while you won’t be sending one home tonight,”  _ Chris continued, “ _ I’d think long and hard about your performances today. Enjoy the loser trailer and Chef’s gruel, Grips! McLean, out! _ ”

Katie and Sadie sighed and hugged one another. Ezekiel pulled his toque down over his eyes, and Eva grit her teeth together. Cody kicked a wall in frustration, while Beth heaved a sigh and sat down with her chin in her hands.

In the hallway near the entry chamber, Courtney had frozen in place as soon as the challenge winners were announced. Her face was entirely devoid of expression, and her breathing was heavy. Lindsay pulled her hand free of Courtney’s grip.

“Um… Colleen?” Lindsay asked tentatively, taking a few cautious steps backwards. “You okay?”

“I’m. Fine,” Courtney said, her voice calm and flat.

Her eye twitched, and she belted out a scream of frustration as she slammed a fist into the wall hard enough to crack it. She stood there with her chest heaving and nostrils flaring, until a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling to clonk her on the head.

* * *

“Nice work, team!” Lightning said. He and Tyler had returned to Temple McLean to meet their teams as they exited the pyramid. “Now who’s up for a victory party at the rec center?”

The Screaming Gaffers cheered, following Lightning down the temple steps. Tyler shrugged and sat down on the stairs, waiting as the rest of the Killer Grips filed out of the temple.

“Unacceptable,” Courtney said when everyone was present. “This is completely unacceptable! We lost the first challenge of the season! What does that say about our team?!”

“For cryin’ out loud, will you give it a rest already?!” Eva snapped. “We all know that we lost, Courtney! McLean already made that very clear.”

“And we tried our best,” Beth said.

“Well our best wasn’t good enough!” Courtney shot back.

“Also in case you’ve forgotten, Chris said there was only one winning key in this whole place,” Noah said, arms folded over his chest. “So this challenge was more about luck rather than skill anyways.”

“Yeah,” Cody said. “Don’t go blaming us for not finding the one correct key before the Gaffers.”

Courtney took a deep breath through her nose. “Be that as it may,” she said through gritted teeth. “We still could’ve found that key if we had moved faster.”

"Yeah?" Katie asked, she and Sadie glaring. "I didn't see _you_ helping with any of the challenges."

" _I_ was busy leading us! I used to be a CIT, remember?"

_ "We know!" _ Said every other Grip.

“Alright, alright,” Justin said placatingly. He stepped forward, putting himself in the center of the group. “No matter what the circumstances are, it doesn’t change the fact that we lost. For now let’s just enjoy the fact that we don’t have to eliminate anyone, and get some rest so we can focus on giving it our all tomorrow. Sound good? Are we good?”

The rest of the team mumbled in agreement. Courtney gave a curt nod and turned on her heels to walk away, unaware of the several glares she was receiving.

* * *

**Confessional: Jo**

“Hell yeah, first win goes to the Gaffers!” Jo said with a fist bump. “Never had a single doubt. I’m still a little iffy on some of my teammates, but with me around to whip ‘em into shape, we’ll be dominating this game!”

* * *

**Confessional: Cameron**

“Wow, my first time winning a challenge on a reality TV show,” Cameron gushed with a broad smile. “The only things I’ve ever won before were spelling bees, so you can bet I’m pretty excited.”

* * *

**Confessional: Ella**

_ “And it’s sweeeeet, sweeeeet sweet victory, yeah~!” _ Ella sand, hands clasped in front of her. “ _ And it’s ours for the taking~! It’s ours for the fight~!” _

* * *

**Confessional: Scott**

“Well, looks like my team pulled off a win,” Scott said, leaning back in the makeup chair. He smirked at the camera. “Hope they enjoy it. Because if I have anything to say about it, this’ll be our last victory for a  _ long  _ time.”

* * *

**Confessional: Courtney**

“Was I too hard on my team?” Courtney paused, glancing off to the side. “Maybe. But that’s only because I want us all to give a hundred percent. Besides, it’s simple logic: the more challenges we win, the less people we have to vote off, and the more everyone has a shot at making it to the finale. So really, the Grips should be thanking me for pushing them.”

* * *

**Confessional: Eva**

“Yeah, I know who  _ I’m  _ voting for the next time we lose,” Eva said, giving the camera a flat stare.

* * *

**Confessional: Justin**

“Courntey seems to have fallen into the same leader-type role she had with the Killer Bass back on Wawanakwa,” Justin said. He crossed his arms and smiled, a sinister glint in his eye. “How very interesting…”

* * *

Later that day, with the sun just starting to dip towards the western horizon, Owen and Chris stood at the main gate of the studio.

“And so the first day of season two comes to a close,” Chris said. “Our rookies have proven themselves to be surprisingly formidable. The veterans had better step up their game if they want a chance at winning this thing.”

“Especially since starting tomorrow,” Owen said, “the team that loses each challenge  _ will _ be facing an elimination ceremony. Can the Screaming Gaffers pull off two wins in a row? Or will the Killer Grips pull themselves together? Find out next time on Total!”

“Drama!” Chris said.

“ _ Action! _ ” They finished together.

“Aaand that’s the scene,” Chris said, signalling the cameraman to sign off. He looked up at Owen. “So what do you think of co-hosting so far?”

Owen chuckled. “It’s great! And you know I’ve gotta say, when  _ I’m  _ not the one suffering through them, these challenges are pretty funny!”

Chris beamed with pride. “Do I know what makes good TV or what?”


	3. To Boldly Go

" _Last time on Total Drama Action,"_ Chris McLean narrated _. "In our season two premiere, we introduced the twenty-two teenagers who will be competing for a million dollars this time around. We've brought eleven veterans from season one and eleven rookies to this abandoned Toronto film studio to compete in various movie-themed challenges. Veterans Courtney, Eva, Ezekiel, Justin, Noah, Tyler, Lindsay, Beth, Cody, Katie and Sadie make up the Killer Grips. While rookies Jo, Sky, Scott, Cameron, Sam, Dakota, Leonard, Dawn, Ella, Dave and Lightning comprise the Screaming Gaffers."_

" _Our first challenge had the contestants navigating the mysterious and dangerous Temple McLean,"_ Owen narrated. _"Both teams played hard, conquering several challenges, puzzles and riddles trying to find the key to the high-end winner's trailer. In the end it was the Screaming Gaffers who won it all, with several rookies showing surprising skill. The veterans were no slouches either, but Courtney's bossy leadership hasn't gone over well with the rest of her team."_

" _Will the Grips pull themselves together? Or will the Gaffers claim victory for the second day in a row? Find out right now on Total!"_

" _Drama!"_

" _Action!"_

* * *

_Dear mom and dad, I'm doing fine!_

_You guys are on my mind!_

In the front of the Total Drama Action film lot, Chris McLean and Owen sat in director's chairs, wearing sunglasses and tapping styrofoam coffee cups together like wine glasses. Behind them Jo and Lightning raced past, glaring at each other.

_You asked me what I wanted to be,_

_And now I think the answer is plain to see!_

Inside the winner's mess tent, a smiling DJ served food to Noah and Ezekiel. Across the way, a broom-wielding Chef Hatchet chased a raccoon out of his own mess tent, the sight of which made the three teens wince.

_I wanna be famous!_

On a beach set inside Studio One, Justin posed shirtless in front of a backdrop of a setting sun while Katie and Sadie gazed lovingly at him. Beth reclined in a nearby beach chair, smiling and showing off her brace-free pearly whites.

_I wanna live close to the sun!_

_Well pack your bags 'cause I've already won!_

Inside Studio Two a fairytale castle had been set up, where Ella sang on a balcony that collapsed without warning. Dawn was waiting below to catch Ella, and both girls smiled at one another. From out behind the castle, the massive head of a green dragon appeared and roared, sending both girls fleeing in terror. Scott threw the prop head aside, laughing hysterically until a scowling Sky grabbed him by the ear to pull him away.

_Everything to prove, nothing in my way;_

_I'll get there one day!_

Tyler and Eva faced each other in a boxing ring in Studio Three. A single uppercut from Eva sent Tyler flying out of the ring, where he landed in Lindsay's arms. Back in the ring, Eva cheered while Courtney blew a whistle and held one of Eva's gloved fists in the air.

' _Cause I wanna be famous!_

The interior of Studio Four resembled a destroyed city. Dave and Cameron, both wearing helmets and welding futuristic rifles, cowered as a ten-foot tall robot stomped towards them. The robot raised a clawed hand and shook violently before falling over, its back panel open and wires pulled out everywhere. Cody stood wearing a proud smile, twirling a screwdriver around in one hand.

_(Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

At the studio's main gate, Chris shouted into a megaphone. One by one the contestants came rushing out towards the main gate. Jo got there before Lightning, and she cheered while her fellow jock stomped a foot and glared at her. Chris spoke into his megaphone again, motioning people into place with his hands.

_I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

Dakota and Sam took their place underneath the sign at the studio entrance, her taking a selfie and him playing on his Swap. They bumped into each other, but smiled warmly as they looked into each other's eyes. Until a beaming Leonard popped up between them, startling them both.

_I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, na-na nananaa, na-nananananaaaa)_

The twenty-two contestants posed under the film lot's main entrance, Chris and Owen standing on each side of the group. On the sign, in big bold letters read the words: "Total Drama Action."

* * *

It was dawn in the city of Toronto. The sun rose from the east to embrace the city with its light and warmth. As the curtain of night slipped away, the residents of the metropolis awoke to begin the new day.

Inside the old film studio currently serving as the venue for season two of the hit reality show Total Drama, the contestants awoke to begin their day as well. Among those already up was Sky, as a morning jog had been a part of her workout regimine for years. Sky's breathing was steady and even as she jogged briskly through the lot, the numerous studio buildings towering over her. The pleasant burn of her muscles being worked, combined with the rhythm of her own footsteps had a calming, almost meditative effect on the young athlete.

"Yo, Sky!"

Sky came to a halt, still jogging in place as she looked around for the source of the voice. From the alleyway between two of the studios, a familiar figure in gray came jogging towards her. Sky smiled.

"Morning Jo," Sky said as the jock-ette approached. The two took off, matching each other's pace. "I was wondering where you went this morning. Thought maybe you went to get some breakfast."

"No way," Jo said, "I make a point to go jogging as soon as I wake up. Helps me stay at the top of my game and prepare for the day."

The pair reached the end of the row of studio buildings and turned into a section of the lot dotted with sheds, Quonset huts, trailers and such. Leftover storage units from the days when their location was actually being used for filmmaking.

"I like to make sure I get at least a 5K run every day," Sky said.

"Not bad," Jo said with a smirk. "I usually do 8K myself. Figured I should take it easy for now though, so I'll still have energy for whatever McLame decides to throw at us."

Sky giggled at Jo's nickname for their illustrious host. "What sort of challenge do you think Chris has lined up for us today? He said this season was gonna be based on movies, right?"

"Could be pretty much anything in that case." Jo shrugged. "Knowing Total Drama, it'll probably be something painful, disgusting or humiliating. Or any combination of the three."

Sky shuddered. "Well, guess that's the price we pay to have a chance at a million dollars."

"You got that right, Blue Sky." The two briefly separated to avoid a large pothole in the ground. "Just gotta keep your eye on the prize."

Sky smirked, casting a sidelong glance at Jo. "Blue Sky, huh? What's with you and the nicknames anyway?"

"Helps me keep track of new people 'til I can learn names. And I'll start to remember our teammates' names just as soon as _they_ prove they can pull their own weight during these challenges. Until then, they're elimination fodder as far as I'm concerned."

Sky frowned. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Hey if the eleven of us are gonna be stuck together until the merge, the last thing we need is dead weight dragging the whole team down. Think of it like gymnastics: not everyone who tries out for the team is gonna make the cut, you know?"

"True, true." Sky nodded, unable to argue with that. "Well, guess we'll just have to keep winning so we won't _have_ to eliminate anyone."

"That's the spirit!" The girls rounded another corner, finding themselves in the stretch of land that housed the contestant trailers, mess tents, communal bathrooms and other residential areas. Jo smirked mischievously, a competitive glint in her eye. "How about we wrap things up with a race to the mess tent for some breakfast? One-two-three- _go!"_

"Wha-?" Before Sky could process what was happening Jo took off at a full sprint. Sky laughed and took off after her. "Oh, you're not gonna win _that_ easily!"

* * *

**Confessional: Jo**

"You know how I said I'm on the fence about most of my team?" Jo asked the confessional camera. "Well, Sky's not one of them. Sure she's kind of soft, but I can respect a fellow athlete." She rolled her eyes. "At any rate I respect her a hell of a lot more than that sack of bricks Lightning."

* * *

Inside the winner's trailer, the rest of the girls of the Screaming Gaffers were waking up. Eight bunk beds lined the wall of the women's side of the trailer, morning sunlight streaming in from the skylight above. From one of the top bunks Ella sat up and stretched, letting out an almost-musical yawn as she reluctantly shrugged the silk blanket off her. Looking around, she saw Dawn and Dakota were already awake; the former sitting crossed-legged on her bed with her eyes closed and hands on her knees, the latter brushing her hair at the trailer's vanity.

Dawn opened one eye at the sound of Ella's yawn and smiled. "Good morning, Ella," she said, dressed in a long lavender nightgown. "Sleep well?"

"I sure did," Ella said. An oversized pink t-shirt served as her pajamas. "Chris wasn't kidding when he said this trailer came with high-quality beds. It felt like I was sleeping on a cloud." She looked around. "Are Sky and Jo already up?"

"Yeah, I think they went out jogging or something," Dakota said. Her sleepwear was little more than a small pink top with matching shorts. She ran the brush through her golden locks a few more times and smiled at her reflection, flipping her hair back over her shoulders. "Perfect, as always!" She picked up her makeup bag off the floor and began rummaging through it. "Just a touch of foundation, a dash of blush and a little bit of gloss, and I'll be ready for my close up."

Ella hopped out of bed, grabbing her suitcase from the storage shelf set into the wall. "You know Dakota, I really don't think you have to go to so much effort," she said as she pulled out her signature pink skirt and blouse. "You already have such natural beauty."

"Aw, you're sweet." Dakota said, focusing on the mirror as she applied her foundation. "Naive, but sweet. Natural beauty is all well and good, but everyone knows you need to look _flawless_ if you want to make it in the entertainment business."

Ella frowned slightly. "What about talent and strength of character?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, those too or whatever." Dakota waved a hand dismissively, still not looking away from her reflection. Ella still looked uneasy.

"Don't feel bad," Dawn said to Ella. Her eyes were closed again as she focused on her morning meditation. "Dakota's quest for fame is your standard cry for help stemming from a lack of familial affection."

Dakota whirled around in her chair, eyes wide in shock. "How did you know that?" She demanded. "Have you been talking to my therapist?! Because Daddy is paying good money for confidentiality!"

"I read auras," Dawn replied simply. She opened one eye to look Dakota over. "And no offense, but it looks like someone threw up on yours. You'd be a lot happier if you stopped your single-minded pursuit of tabloid fame and focused more on forming meaningful relationships with those around you."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Now you _really_ sound like my therapist." She turned back around to return to her preening. "Look, let's just all stick with what we're good at, okay? Ella has her singing, you have your hippie mumbo-jumbo, and I have my radiant good looks that'll have the network begging me to host my own spinoff series."

Dawn frowned, but shrugged and dropped the issue. Ella, who had been watching the exchange while getting dressed, jumped on the chance to change the topic.

"So Dawn," she said brightly. "I'd love to hear more about these 'auras' you keep mentioning. Would you care to chat about it over breakfast?"

Dawn's eyes opened wide, and she smiled at Ella. "Really?" Ella nodded. "I'd love to."

* * *

**Confessional: Dawn**

"I know Ella is nice, but I was still a little surprised when she wanted to learn more about my aura reading," Dawn said. She paused, glancing off to the side. "It's… not exactly something a lot of people are interested in."

* * *

**Confessional: Ella**

"I auditioned for Total Drama Action for two reasons," Ella explained. "There's the prize money of course, but I know my odds of winning are slim. The main reason I'm here is to meet people and make new friends. And it looks like I've already found one! I admit I don't quite understand Dawn's talk of auras, but she seems just lovely."

* * *

"Yo DJ! Hit me up with some more eggs, bro!"

Inside the winner's mess tent, DJ looked up stirring a large pot of oatmeal. Lightning stood at the long steel serving bar that separated the dining area from the kitchen, empty plate in hand. Behind a glass window on the kitchen side sat trays and dishes piled high with traditional breakfast foods: bacon, eggs, sausage, waffles, pancakes, fruit and the like. Dispensers for milk and orange juice sat off to the side next to a coffee machine, its pot full of simmering dark liquid.

"More?" DJ asked, raising an eyebrow. He glanced down at the empty scrambled egg tray, which Lightning had gotten the last of just a few minutes ago. "You've already had half a dozen, _and_ a protein shake."

"Yeah, and Lightning's gonna need at least another half dozen eggs to meet his DPA."

"Uh, DPA?" Geoff asked, looking up from the dishes he was washing.

"Daily protein alignment, duh!" Lightning smiled smugly and flexed one of his arms. "Lightning needs his protein to stay in top shape and dominate this game! Now you gonna hook him up with some eggs, or does Lightning gotta get 'em himself?"

"All right, I got you." Setting the pot down on the stove, DJ reached up to grab a fresh frying pan off the hanging rack above him. "We're gonna need more for when the girls show up anyways. Geoff, you wanna fetch some more eggs from the fridge?"

"I'm on it!" Geoff said, grabbing a towel to dry his hands as he jogged away from the sink.

"And while you're at it, grab some more OJ too," DJ called out. "The juice dispenser is looking kinda low."

While Lightning waited for his third helping of eggs, Sam and Leonard sat at one of the steel picnic tables scattered around the dining area, Cameron and Dave seated across from them. Leonard was speaking rapidly, waving his hands about in a dramatic fashion while the other three boys listened with varying degrees of interest.

"... and just when all hope seemed lost I rolled a natural twenty and my warrior plunged his sword directly into the dragon's heart, putting an end to his reign of terror once and for all!" Leonard said, miming swinging a sword around. He leaned back with a proud smile. "So yeah, that's how I was spending my summer before I arrived here."

"Fascinating," Cameron said, leaning forward with interest. "You know I've always been interested in tabletop gaming. I've even read the _Creatures and Caverns_ Player's Handbook from cover to cover and made several characters."

Leonard smiled brightly. "Wow, really? What was stopping you from playing then?"

Cameron's smile fell and he looked down, rubbing one arm. "Having friends to play with…"

"Oh… right." Leonard rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

Cameron sighed. "It's fine. When you spend the first sixteen years of your life in a sterile bubble, you kind of get used to just having books for company."

Sam swallowed a bite of his waffles and smiled softly. "Hey cheer up Cam. Sure you missed out on a lot, but you're here now, aren't you? Out in the real world, meeting new people, experiencing new things."

Cameron smiled slowly. "Yeah… yeah you're right. Sorry, I'm still getting used to all of this… you know, socializing with _real_ people."

"It's cool, don't worry about it." Leonard rubbed his fake beard thoughtfully. "You know, if you still wanted to play we could always set up our own _Creatures and Caverns_ game. Not a huge campaign or anything, but we could easily finish a one-shot in a single night."

Cameron's eyes lit up. "For real? Can we do that without the books or miniatures?"

Leonard waved a hand, smiling proudly. "Don't worry about it, I've got the rules memorized down to the letter. And we can make our own maps, tokens and character sheets with some pencils and scrap paper. All we'd need is some dice, and I'm sure we can find some in the rec center." He looked over to Sam. "What about you, Sir Samuel? You're a gamer; have you by chance played C&C?"

"Eh, I've played a little here and there," Sam said, "since some of my favorite RPG's of all time are based on _Creatures and Caverns._ If you're putting a game together I'll play, sure."

"Excellent!" Leonard cheered. He looked over to Dave, who was looking over at the open tent flap while pushing what was left of his cereal around in a bowl of milk. "What say you, Sir David? Will you join us on this adventure of a lifetime?"

"Hmm?" David blinked upon hearing his name, and looked around in confusion. He saw the other guys looking at him expectantly. "Uh sorry, what were we talking about?"

Leonard gave him a flat look. "Setting up a game of _Creatures and Caverns,_ dude. You want in?"

"That fantasy board game?"

"Tabletop role-playing game, but yes."

"Eh..." Dave saw the expectant looks the other three boys were giving him, and shrugged. "I guess I can try a game, sure. Why not."

"Marvelous! I'll start drawing up plans for a one-shot adventure right away!"

As Leonard raced off, Sam shot Dave a concerned look. "You okay over there dude? You seem kind of out of it this morning."

Dave shrugged again. "Oh you know, just thinking about… stuff, and things and such."

"Care to narrow that down just a little bit?" Cameron asked, arching a brow.

"Well… just thinking about our new team, I guess. What uh, what do you guys think of our teammates?"

"Well Scott seems a tad abrasive," Cameron said, "but I haven't interacted with him enough to make a proper judgement of his character."

"And Lightning over there has kind of a big ego." Sam nodded in Lightning's direction, who by now had sat down and was chowing down on a fresh plate of eggs. "But he looks like he can handle himself in these challenges."

Dave nodded. "Right, yeah. What about the girls then?"

"They seem nice." Cameron shrugged. "Jo's kind of… pushy, I guess you could say. But she _did_ take charge and lead us to victory yesterday, so I can't really complain. And when I get a chance I'd like to talk to Dawn about this whole 'aura reading' business she keeps mentioning."

"Ella seems pretty nice too, and she's got a great singing voice. But that Dakota, _rawr!_ " Sam smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. "She's a real stunner, let me tell you."

"Yeah I guess. I think Sky's cuter though," Dave said absentmindedly. His eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth, but it was too late.

" _Ooooh!_ " Cameron and Sam said teasingly as Dave flushed bright red.

"Someone's got a crush," Sam said, smirking.

"I do _not_ ," Dave said defensively. "I just… think she's pretty is all. And she was really nice during the challenge yesterday. Besides, I _literally_ just met her."

"So? Having a positive initial meeting is more than enough time to develop an infatuation," Cameron said.

"You should try talking to her, get to know her and stuff," Sam added. "We've got four weeks here, after all."

"Assuming we don't get voted off," Dave said dryly.

"Ah, don't think like that man! If you spend all your time thinking about the bad things that _could_ happen, you'll never accomplish anything in life. You gotta actually play the game to have a chance at winning, dude."

Dave glanced away, unsure. "I mean, I guess…?"

By now Sam had finished his waffles and pushed his plate aside. "How about we make a deal? If you make an effort to flirt with Sky, I'll do the same with Dakota. If we both succeed, we can double date or whatever. If we both fail, we can wallow in self-pity together."

"What if only one of us succeeds?"

"Then they're free to gloat and brag while the other goes home in a state of everlasting shame, of course."

"... Hardy har har." Dave gave Sam a flat stare, who just smiled back. Dave sighed. "Okay fine, I'll try. But only because we'll both be in the same boat when we get shot down in flames."

"That's the spirit!" Sam grinned and gave Dave a thumbs up, then looked to Cameron. "What about you Cam? You want in on this? Wanna _study_ with Dawn or make music together with Ella?"

"No-ho- _ho_ thank you," Cameron said with a chuckle and a shake of the head. "I've got my hands full just learning to socialize like a normal human being. The last thing I need is to complicate things even further with a potential romantic engagement."

"Suit yourself."

It was at that moment that Jo came running in through the open tent flap, Sky directly behind her. Both girls were red-faced and panting.

"Boo-yah! First place!" Jo cheered, throwing a fist in the air.

"You only won 'cause you had a head start," Sky said with a laugh, giving Jo a playful shoulder punch. "I would've won in a _fair_ race."

"Oh really?" Jo smirked at her. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, Blue Sky? Another race, same time tomorrow."

"You're on. Now let's get some breakfast, I'm starving."

The boys watched as Sky and Jo made their way up to the serving bar.

"Well?" Sam asked Dave expectantly. "You gonna talk to her?"

"Absolutely," Dave nodded. He made no effort to move. "Just as… soon as Dakota gets here too. It uh, wouldn't be fair if I got a head start now would it?"

Both Cameron and Sam gave Dave flat stares.

"What?"

* * *

**Confessional: Dave**

"Ugh, I can't believe I got talked into making that ridiculous deal," Dave muttered, bringing a palm to his forehead. "I don't exactly have the best track record with girls, and I'm not thrilled about potentially getting shot down on national TV."

* * *

Meanwhile in the loser's mess tent, Chef Hatchet glowered as he stared out of his tent's open flap across the way to the winner's tent. In stark contrast to the smorgasbord of breakfast being offered to the Screaming Gaffers, Chef's selection offered a choice of gruel, slop, sloppish gruel and gruelish slop.

"Can't believe Chris had the audacity to bring in another cook," Chef muttered darkly. He clutched his ladle tight as we watched Dawn and Ella enter the winner's tent, smiling brightly. "And _DJ_ no less! Little punk thinks he's _so_ great with his zero health code violations and his basic human hygiene. Well he'll get what's coming to him soon enough, mark my words…"

"Uh, Chef?"

Chef blinked and looked over to see an unimpressed Courtney standing with an empty plate on a tray. Lindsay, Beth, Cody and Noah were all waiting in line behind her.

"Not to interrupt your villainous monologuing," Courtney said, "but I'd like to get breakfast sometime this century."

Chef scoffed. "Since when did you get so eager for my cooking?"

"I'm not. But some breakfast is better than no breakfast."

Chef growled at her and scooped a heaping helping of gruel to drop onto her plate with a _splat._ Rolling her eyes Courtney turned away and scanned the mess tent. Tyler was off on a table by himself, no doubt waiting for his girlfriend. Justin sat at the table next to him, also by himself. And at the third table, Courtney spotted her targets: Katie and Sadie, staring dreamily at Justin while they picked at their slop. She took a deep breath and made her way up to the BFFFLs.

"Good morning girls," Courtney said, taking a seat across from them. Katie and Sadie looked at her with neutral expressions.

"Oh, hey Courtney," Katie said. They didn't look particularly happy to see her, but they weren't _unhappy_ either. Courtney took that as a good sign.

"Look, I wanted to apologize," Courtney said bluntly. "I realize that I may have been a bit… overzealous during the challenge yesterday."

"A _bit?"_ Sadie repeated, crossing her arms.

"Okay fine, a _lot._ But please understand I'm only thinking of what's best for the team. If any of us wanna have a chance at winning this season, we need to give everything we've got to every challenge from here on out."

"We _know_ that Courtney," Katie said firmly. "Sadie and I may not have made it far last time around, but we know how the game works. Winning challenges is important, but so is not being a total witch with a capital B when things don't go exactly as planned."

"Don't get us wrong Courtney, you're definitely a strong player," Sadie said. "Aside from Lindsay, you made it farther than anyone else here in season one. But don't think we all won't vote you off in a heartbeat if you can't keep your competitiveness under control."

Courtney flinched at Katie and Sadie's words, but took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I was just… pressured, what with this being the first challenge of a new season. I wanted us to start strong, you know. And for what it's worth, I thought you guys did a good job with the challenge yesterday." She winced. "Sorry for not saying that sooner."

Katie and Sadie exchanged looks.

"Well… thank you," Sadie said, finally giving Courtney a small smile.

"We'll both do our best during challenges," Katie said, also smiling, "if _you_ promise not to be wound up so much."

Courtney smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best. Just remember: the more challenges we win, the less people our team has to vote off, the less we all have to sleep in that horrid trailer and eat…" She lifted the spoon from her gruel, and it dripped down with the consistency of glue, "whatever this is. Am I crazy, or did Chef's cooking somehow get _worse_?"

"Hey!" Chef snapped as Lindsay and Beth walked away with their food. "I'm standing right here you know!"

"Yes, I know! I'm insulting you!"

At the next table over, Tyler sat by himself forcing down his own bowl of gruel. He still had a bandage wrapped around his head under his signature sweatband, but his bruises were already starting to fade. He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled.

"Morning Ty… Tyler," Lindsay said. She smiled proudly. "Ha! Got it that time!"

"Morning beautiful," Tyler said, kissing Lindsay's cheek as she sat down next to him, Beth taking a seat beside her. "And good morning to you too, Beth."

"Same to you, Tyler," Beth said, looking him over. "Wow, you're looking better already."

"What can I say? I've always been a fast healer." He shoveled in another mouthful of breakfast slop. "Anything new with you two?"

Lindsay giggled. "I'm glad you asked. You see Beth and I have been talking, and…" She looked over to Beth. "Did you wanna tell him or should I?"

"He's your boyfriend; you do the honors," Beth said.

"Tell me what?" Tyler asked, swallowing.

Lindsay looked back his way. "So… we have a proposition for you. A special deal between the three of us."

Tyler froze, another spoonful of gruel halfway to his mouth. He looked at Beth, then Lindsay, back to Beth, then back to Lindsay. He slowly set the spoon down and gave Lindsay his undivided attention. "... Go on."

"Tyler… do you wanna be in an alliance with us?"

"... Oh. _Oh!_ " Tyler's eyes widened, and he smiled and nodded. " _That_ kind of deal! Right, yeah, totally!"

Beth raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal did you think we meant?"

"Nothing!" Tyler said quickly, wrapping one arm around Lindsay's shoulder. "But yeah, I'll totally join your alliance."

Lindsay gave a joyful squeal, wrapping an arm around both Beth and Tyler and pulling them into a group hug. "This is perfect! With the three of us working together, we'll make the final three for sure!"

"This trio's going all the way to the top!" Beth said with a fist in the air.

Over at the next table, Justin kept his eyes and ears open as he ate in silence, carefully observing everything going on around him. He couldn't hear exactly what was going on between Courtney and the BFFFL's but all three of them looked to be in good spirits, despite Courtney's off-putting behavior yesterday. And Tyler, Beth and Lindsay may have been sitting to the back and behind from where he was, but the excitement in Lindsay's tone told him everything he needed to know.

The season had just begun, and already the seeds of alliances were being planted. Which meant it was time for Justin to do some tilling of his own.

"Morning, Justin."

And here came some fresh soil now.

"Morning Cody, Noah," Justin said, replacing his look of concentration with the easy-going grin his fellow competitors were familiar with. "That was some first night huh? That loser's trailer is _rough_."

"Tell me about it," Cody said, shaking his head. He and Noah sat down opposite of Justin. "I'm pretty sure those mattresses are old enough to drink."

"And those stupid blankets feel like they're made of steel wool," Noah said with a grimace. "Definitely not looking forward to sleeping there again. Or eating…" He tried to lift the spoon from his gruel, only to lift the entire mass out of the bowl in a giant ball of mush, "whatever _this_ is."

"Well the solution to that is simple," Justin said, pointing his own spoon for emphasis. "All we have to do is win challenges from here on out."

"Your tactical genius is truly unparalleled," Noah said flatly.

"Allow me to clarify: if we want to win, we need to act like a well-oiled machine, each of us playing a part towards a singular goal of victory." He paused to sip some of his soupy gruel. "Which also means that when we lose, we need to get rid of any parts that are… _defective._ "

Justin let the weight of his words hang in the air. Cody shot a quick glance over at Courtney, thinking of her attitude during yesterday's challenge. Noah looked down, remembering his and Justin's own conversation when they were alone in Temple McLean.

Justin smirked at their reactions, before chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so grim. Guess the stress of the game is already getting to me."

"Yeah, Total Drama tends to do that to people," Noah remarked. "Hell, the game was already cutthroat when the prize was only a hundred grand. With a million dollars up for grabs, who knows what kind of tricks people will pull?"

"Yeah, well let's not worry about that right now," Cody said brightly. "It's only the start of the season after all. For now let's just relax, have fun while we can and focus on what's truly important: the hot babes we're competing with! So, what do you guys think of those new girls on the Gaffers?"

Noah rolled his eyes while Justin laughed. "Still the same old Code-miester."

* * *

**Confessional: Courtney**

"Okay now that I've calmed down from yesterday, I can see how I went a bit overboard," Courtney said. "If I'm going to last in this game I'll need to make alliances and avoid making myself a target."

* * *

**Confessional: Cody**

"Hey, I wasn't kidding when I said I was gonna get myself a girlfriend this season," Cody said. "The only question it who should I work the ol' Code-miester charm on?"

* * *

**Confessional: Justin**

"Seems I'll need to keep an eye on Lindsay, Beth and Tyler as well as Courtney," Justin said. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Sounds like there's at least two alliances potentially being formed. If I play my cards right, I can probably use this to my advantage…"

* * *

The sound of grunting filled the first floor of the Total Drama Action rec center.

True to Chris McLean's word, the first floor was indeed furnished with the cheapest possible trappings. The furniture consisted of couches and chairs with leaking stuffing and ripped upholstery, the kind of condition that even second-hand pawn shops wouldn't take. For entertainment, the choices included a tube-TV with a VCR, an old billiards table with just one cue, a bookshelf full of old board games, and a single corner shelf piled with art supplies dubbed the "Crafts Corner" by a crude sign.

Rounding out the first floor's offerings was a "Fitness Center," a walled-off area containing a hanging punching bag, some stationary bikes, dumbbell sets and a workout bench with a barbell. It was on this bench that Eva was currently laying, having opted to workout after finishing her breakfast. The bodybuilder grunted as she lifted and lowered the barbell repeatedly, each end stacked with heavy steel weights.

"Thanks again for the help, Homeschool," Eva said between reps.

"Oh, no problem," Ezekiel said hesitantly as he stood over the back end of the bench by Eva's head, watching her workout with a mix of amazement and mild concern. A towel was slung over his shoulder, and he held a water bottle in one hand. "I'm uh, happy to help. Quick question: why _did_ you ask me to spot you? I mean, you're lifting two-hundred pounds, eh. What do you think _I'm_ gonna do if you drop that?"

"I figure out of all of our teammates, you'd be the most likely to go for help instead of laughing and taking pictures," Eva replied.

"Oh. Well uh, thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess..."

A silence settled over the two as Eva continued her workout. After several more reps she lifted the barbell to place back in its holding moors. Panting and sweating Eva sat up, wordlessly holding her hands out to Ezekiel. He quickly passed her the towel and water bottle; Eva blotted her face with the towel and took a long swig from the bottle.

"So, Eva…" Ezekiel said slowly. "I uh, wanted to apologize."

"Hmm?" Eva raised part of her unibrow. "What for?"

Ezekiel nervously tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie. "You know, for what I said last season, eh? That, er, stuff about girls… not being as strong or smart as guys?"

Eva stared at him, her face impassive. Ezekiel winced and quickly continued. "It's just I mean I was homeschooled my whole life so I didn't get to see much of what the world is like and Dad always told me it was men's job to protect women and mom always agreed with him so that's really all I knew and I… I'm sorry!" He winced and threw his arms up over his face. "Please don't pound me!"

Eva stared at the cowering bow for several long seconds. Then she shrugged. "Alright then. Apology accepted."

Ezekiel blinked. He slowly lowered his arms. "R-really? Just like that?"

"Yeah. To be honest, most of us had figured your whole homeschooled deal was why you were being such a little twerp." She paused to drink more water. "Doesn't mean we were willing to cut you any slack, but at least you dropped the attitude by the time the rest of us got to Playa De Losers."

Ezekiel chuckled. "Yeah, well… once I got to actually see more of what the world was like, I kinda realized how backwards my parents' views are. But then I got caught up with trying to be like a 'normal' teen, and I never got around to formally apologizing. Better late than never… Right?"

"It's cool. The important thing is you're owning up to your mistakes and you've learned that girls aren't inferior to guys."

Eva turned herself around on the bench so that she was facing Ezekiel, giving him a pointed look. "You _have_ learned your lesson, right?"

For emphasis she reached out and lifted the two-hundred pound barbell with ease, then dropped the weight into its holdings with a loud _clang._

Ezekiel paled and nodded. "Y-yes ma'am!"

"Good." Eva sighed. "Besides, you're not the only one who made mistakes. I let my anger get the better of me and got voted off _twice_ because of it."

"Well, the first time was because Heather stole your music-player thing, eh," Ezekiel pointed out.

"Yeah, the _first_ time. Then I got a second chance and blew it, all because of a stupid grudge against someone who, let's face it, didn't even deserve it."

"Sounds like we both have things we need to make up for," Ezekiel said.

Eva opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of an opening door from above. Scott came walking down the stairs leading to the second floor dressed in his swim trunks, with a towel slung over his shoulders and a soda in hand. He was whistling a merry tune, but stopped when he noticed Ezekiel and Eva.

"Oh, good morning," he said with a smirk. "Don't mind me: I was just enjoying a refreshing dip in our winner's hot tub and watching some Netflix on our winner's plasma TV." He chuckled as he opened his soda. "Yup, it sure is nice up there on the _winner's_ second floor." He took several big gulps of soda. "Too bad _you two_ will never see it."

With that Scott walked out the front door, cackling. Ezekiel and Eva glared in his direction as the rec center door swung shut.

"You're right," Eva said through gritted teeth. "And I'm gonna start by directing my anger towards people who deserve it."

* * *

**Confessional: Scott**

"I wasn't lying; I wanted to enjoy the winner's floor one last time before I start sabotaging my team," Scott explained. He finished off his soda and chucked the can away. "But then I saw two of the Grips down on the first floor and thought I'd throw a little trash talk their way. After all, the harder the Grips try to win, the less likely it is my team will notice my sabotage."

* * *

All across the film studio, the intercom system came to life with an ear-splitting squeak of feedback.

" _Good morning, contestants!_ " Chris's overly-cheery voice announced. " _Please report to Studio Two in the next ten minutes for your second challenge. It promises to be truly out of this world!"_

The twenty-two teens all made their way to the studio building in question. Chris and Owen stood in front of the building's garage bay doors, smiling brightly.

"So, what kind of sci-fi challenge are we doing today?" Sky asked.

"Welcome, everyone! Today's challenge-" Chris stopped abruptly, his eyes going wide. "Wait, how'd you guess the genre already?"

The teens collectively gave Chris flat stares.

"You said our challenge would be 'out of this world,'" Noah said. "What _else_ could it possibly be?"

"I told you that was too obvious, dude," Owen said shaking his head.

"Quiet you," Chris muttered. He cleared his throat. "Okay fine yes, today's challenge is based on sci-fi movies. Movies set in the far future where brave heroes adventure across the cosmos, explore alien worlds, do battle with futuristic weaponry and have climatic dogfights in the cold vacuum of space. Well we've combined several of those elements to create your next challenge. Feast your eyes!"

Chris pulled a remote from his pocket and opened the garage doors. Inside the studio sat an enormous rink surrounded by high walls, dotted with giant rocks. Huge planet models hung from the ceiling, which was dotted with giant light-green stars. A glorious (and strangely familiar) fanfare blared from the studio's speakers as the hosts led the contestants into the building, stopping next to a large object covered by a tarp.

"For this challenge, you'll be piloting state-of-the-art spacecraft across an alien landscape," Chris explained. "By 'alien landscape' I of course mean the arena behind me. And by 'spacecraft' I mean these specially designed bumper cars!"

Owen whipped the tarp away with a flourish, revealing a bumper car shaped to resemble a spaceship, complete with tiny wings on the side and fins on the back. It had two seats inside, and six glowing lights around the outside of it.

"Each team will be given six spaceships," Chris continued. He walked over to the ship and pulled out a white plastic rifle from inside, connected to the car by a thick wire. "One player will drive, while the other fires this special infrared laser gun here." He motioned to a glowing red light on the car's wing. "Your goal is to hit these weak points on the enemy's ships. There's one on the front, one on the back, and one on each side. A successful hit will deal damage, and enough damage will knock that target out. If all four of your weak points are knocked out, your entire ship is disabled and you are out of the game! The first team to lose all six of their ships loses the challenge, and will be forced to send someone home tonight."

"And for added strategy, you can also target these two extra weak points on the back of each ship," Owen said. He motioned to the back of the sample ship; two glowing lights - one blue and one green - sat where the taillights would be on a normal car. "Hitting the green target will temporarily disable that ship's gun, while hitting the blue target will stop the ship completely, leaving them motionless for a few seconds."

"You can also damage someone by ramming them," Chris said. "But be careful, because that will damage you as well! And to keep things interesting, we have a few special _surprises_ scattered throughout the arena. The only other rule is that leaving your ship for any reason will instantly disqualify both you and your partner. Any questions?"

"So this challenge is basically a combination of bumper cars and laser tag?" Beth asked.

Chris shrugged. "That doesn't sound nearly as cool, but basically yes."

"What about friendly fire?" Scott asked.

"Your guns won't damage your teammates' ships," Chris said. From his spot at the back of the Screaming Gaffers, no one noticed Scott scowl and snap his fingers in annoyance. "But you _can_ damage both yourself and your team if you bump into them, so watch where you drive!" Scott smirked. "Any more questions?"

Cameron raised a hand. "How are we supposed to put two people to a ship if both teams have eleven players?"

"I'm glad you asked, Cam my man!" Owen said excitedly. He snapped his fingers, and a ceiling spotlight shone down on a door in a nearby wall. "Joining you in your challenge today are two special guests from season one! I'll be working with the Screaming Gaffers. And for the Killer Grips, give it up for… Duncan!"

The door was kicked open from the outside, slamming it against the wall. The mohawked punk swaggered in, wearing a cocky smile.

"What's up losers? Ready to get this show on the road?" Duncan asked as he joined his temporary team. Most of the Grips gave him an unsure look. Duncan ignored them and zeroed in on Courtney. "Hey Princess! You miss me?"

"As if, you ogre," Courtney replied. She crossed her arms and looked away, but was smiling as she did so.

Chris clapped, smiling eagerly. "All right, let's get this show on the road! Screaming Gaffers, please make your way to the north side of the arena! Killer Grips, you're on the south. You'll each find a door that will let you into the arena, where you'll find your ships. You'll have ten minutes to figure out who's partnering up with who, and the challenge will officially begin!"

* * *

**Confessional: Sam**

"Yes, this is my kind of challenge!" Sam said, pumping a fist in the air. "It's like a video game come to life! The Gaffers have this one in the bag!"

* * *

**Confessional: Scott**

"I have to make sure I'm driving one of those cars," Scott said. "Then it's just a simple matter of 'accidentally' ramming someone else on my team and blaming the other driver. It's foolproof!"

* * *

**Confessional: Cody**

"Now this is a challenge tailor-made for me!" Cody said with a confident smile, lacing his fingers behind his head. "I love laser tag, and I love bumper cars! Put 'em both together, and there's no stopping me!"

* * *

**Confessional: Beth**

"Wow, they've really upped the ante this time around," Beth remarked. "So far these challenges are way bigger and flashier than they were in season one." She smiled. "It's pretty cool!"

* * *

Jo opened the door to the Screaming Gaffer's side of the arena. Inside sat six spaceship bumper cars, painted white with green lines along the sides. Beyond them stood huge plaster rock formations, imitating the craggy surface of an alien planet.

"Let's get a move on, people," Jo said as her team filed in behind her. "Everyone partner up and figure out who's driving and who's shooting."

"Well _I'm_ driving for sure," Scott said, quickly hopping into the front seat of one of the ships. He took note of the blank screen on the right side of the steering wheel, and the big red button and walkie-talkie on a cord over to the left.

He pressed the button, and the bumper car hummed to life. The lights on the sides lit up and the screen flickered to life, displaying a top-down view of his ship with health bars for each of the four vulnerable targets. Scott whistled, impressed. "Okay, I gotta hand it to Chris; these things are pretty badass."

"We know our challenges," Owen said with a proud smile.

"Say Owen, would you like to be my partner?" Cameron asked him. "As the largest and smallest ones here, I feel we'd create an even weight-distribution to maximize our maneuverability."

"I only understand half those words, but sure thing pal!"

"What do you say Dakota?" Sam asked the fame-monger, who was busy double-checking her reflection in her compact. "You and me, partners? Exploring the final frontier together?"

"Final frontier?" Dakota asked, perplexed. She thought for a second, then nodded. "Oh right, the whole space thing. Yeah that's fine, just don't get in the way of my action shots, 'kay?"

"You got it," Sam said, giving her a thumbs up.

Dawn and Ella hesitantly approached one of the ships together. "Do you have any experience with laser tag?" Dawn asked.

"No, but I love fairs and have ridden plenty of bumper cars," Ella said. "I'll drive, if you don't mind."

"That's fine," Dawn said. She eyed the plastic rifle with distaste. "I'll be our… gunner then, I suppose."

From the back of the group Dave looked over to Sky, herself busy inspecting one of the ships. He took a deep breathe, stepped forward and opened his mouth-

"C'mon, Blue Sky," Jo said, hopping into the back seat of the ship Sky stood next to. She smiled eagerly, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Let's show those Killer Grips just who they're dealing with. You drive and I'll blow 'em out of the sky!"

"Sounds like a plan," Sky said with a grin, hopping in the driver's seat.

Dave sighed, hanging his head low. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come, Sir David," Leonard said brightly. "Let us join forces, and carve a path of victory across the cosmos!"

Dave just stared at Leonard before sighing again. "Sure, fine."

"Guess it's you and me then, Scotty-boy," Lightning said as he hopped into the back seat of Scott's ship. He smirked as he slung the laser rifle back over his shoulder. "Bet you're thrilled to be teaming up with the man who's gonna single-handedly lead our team to victory, huh?"

Scott rolled his eyes so hard they threatened to pop out of his skull. "Gee, what an honor."

Soon everyone was in place, their ships turned on and ready to go. The drivers were Cameron, Scott, Ella, Dave, Sky, and Dakota while the gunners consisted of Owen, Lightning, Dawn, Leonard, Jo, and Sam.

"So what's the plan?" Dakota asked.

"Let's split into two teams of six, each taking one half of the arena," Jo said. "Alpha Team will be me and Blue Sky, Chicken Legs and Blandalf, and Barbie and Joystick. We'll take the east. Gold Team is Dirt Boy and Thunderhead, Snow White and Squeaky, and String Bean and Tons of Fun. You'll take the west. Any questions?"

Lightning raised a fist and cheered. "Gold Team rules!"

" _Psst_ ," Owen leaned down and whispered to Cameron, "am I String Bean or Tons of Fun?"

* * *

Over on the Killer Grip's side of the area, Courtney stood before the six ships she and her team would be using, each one white with red stripes. She turned to face the rest of the Grips, a determined expression on her face. "Okay people, here's the plan-"

"I wanna be with Katie/Sadie!" Sadie and Katie said at once.

Courtney blinked. "Okay yes I was going to say you two work well together, but we should-"

"Oh, I wanna be with Tyler!" Lindsay said quickly, smiling at her boyfriend. She gasped suddenly, turning towards her best friend. "Or wait, should I be with my bestie instead? Oh, I didn't think we'd be split like this so soon…"

"If you all would just listen-" Courtney tried to say.

"Yo Princess," Duncan said, stepping forward with his usually cocky smile. "You and me are partners, right?"

Eva scoffed. "What, so you can spend the whole game sucking face?"

Duncan scowled at her. "Well if _that's_ what you're worried about, you better make sure Lindsay and Tyler stay far away from each other too."

"Hey!" Lindsay snapped. "That's _my_ decision! I'm not letting anyone boss me around like Heather-"

" _Listen to me!"_ Courtney screamed. Everyone stopped and turned towards her, and Courtney took a deep breath. "I was just trying to say that we should divide up based on our skills, to give ourselves the best chance at winning. Katie, Sadie, you've already proven you work well together, so you'll be one of our pairs. Now, does anyone have experience with laser tag?"

"This guy, right here," Cody said, stepping forward. Duncan, Noah, Tyler and Beth did as well.

"Perfect! You will be our gunners then. Duncan, you're with me. Everyone else, partner up."

"Go with Beth, babe," Tyler said, putting a hand on Lindsay's shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile. "You guys will do great, I just know it."

"Well… okay," Lindsay said finally. She pulled Tyler in for a kiss. "Good luck!"

Lindsay and Beth raced to one of the carts, and Tyler looked to the remaining contestants. "Yo Zeke! You ever done bumper cars before?"

"Uh… no," Ezekiel said sheepishly. "But I've driven farm equipment back home, eh."

"Close enough! Let's you and me go show those Gaffers we mean business."

Justin stepped up to Noah. "How 'bout it, Noah? Up for another brain and brawn team-up?"

"Absolutely thrilled," Noah said dryly. "You _are_ a tactical genius, after all."

Cody sauntered up to an unimpressed Eva, standing with her arms crossed. "Looks like that leaves you and me," he said with a suave smile. "Hope my dashing good looks won't prove to be too distracting for you."

"Trust me, they won't," Eva said bluntly, walking up to the last ship without even looking at Cody. The tech geek just shrugged and followed her, still smiling.

The twelve Killer Grips climbed into their ships and powered them up, ready to go. The drivers were Courtney, Eva, Sadie, Lindsay, Ezekiel and Justin while Duncan, Cody, Katie, Beth, Tyler and Cody served as gunners.

"We'll cover the most ground if we split up into three groups," Courtney said, looking around at the established pairs. "Noah and Justin, you're with me and Duncan. Beth and Lindsay, you go with Tyler and Ezekiel. Which leaves Katie and Sadie with Eva and Cody. Sound good?"

Almost everyone nodded or voiced their approval.

"Perfect! The Screaming Gaffers just got lucky yesterday. Let's show them all that the Killer Grips mean business!"

* * *

In the Total Drama Action command center, Chris checked the time on his phone and looked at the display screens. All twenty-four contestants were in place, their bumper car spaceships on and ready to go. Chris grabbed his microphone and spoke into it.

"Okay, it looks live everyone is ready." He grinned, reaching for a switch on the console. "One last thing before we begin. Space is usually dark, right?"

With a flick of a switch, all of the lights in Studio Two went out. The stars on the ceiling began to glow, bathing the arena in green.

"Remember, the game goes until all six ships on a team are disabled. On your marks… get set… go!"

At once, twelve feet pressed down on twelve gas pedals, and the ships took off.

**Author's Note:**

> And there you have it! The first chapter of my first Total Drama fanfic in years. What do you think of the contestants chosen to compete? And did I do a good job writing them? Leave a comment and let me know!


End file.
